Inuzuka Naruto
by flame's shadow
Summary: Minato Namikaze wanted to protect the future of his child were the worst to happen. As such, he arranged to have him hidden within one of the smaller clans of the village. Now, Naruto grows up with a brother, a family, and connection to his wild side. But will his connection to his baser nature bring out more of the foxes power then seen before?
1. Chapter 1

Sort of an idea that came to me, and it's been bothering me so much that I can't focus on my other stories or other work. So, I'm going to pound out some of it, throw it up, and see what everyone thinks. Here goes! As always, I own nothing but the original stuff.

xXxXxXx

"You've got to start thinking about contingency plans, Minato." Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his former office, enjoying the view from the opposite side of the chair for once. Sitting in a non-descript black shirt and pants, carrying no weapons pouch, the tan and wrinkled old man took a pull on his pipe.

"We don't know if there will be an attack or not, and if there is, you might need to make the ultimate sacrifice to reseal the fox." Hiruzen's voice was grave as he faced the newly minted Fourth Hokage, leader of Konoha. A large white trench coat covered the man's form, flames dancing at the sleeves edges and bottom lines. A blonde head of hair was partially hidden by the pyramid hat marking his station. Blue eyes, uncharacteristically filled with worry, gazed through the blonde hair, piercing Sarutobi where he sat.

"You're right, but I'm not quite sure what I should plan for…" Sarutobi sighed at Minato's response. While the boy was indeed gifted, and a powerful shinobi, he could sometimes be a bit of a flake.

"Plan for the worst, as always…If you and Kushina were to die in an attack, how would the demon fox be sealed? And if your son was born, and you had to make him the jinchuuriki for the nine tailed fox, with your and Kushina's likely passing, how would you safeguard his proper raising?" Minato seemed to stiffen a bit at Sarutobi's questions. 'I guess he really hasn't planned that much out…not surprising though, the armistice with Iwa is being discussed at the moment…'

Sighing, the Fourth Hokage turned in his chair and looked out over his village. 'I have a few months to get something ready, and Sarutobi is right…I think I'll need to meet with some of the clan heads. They will not like my plan, but they should go through with it if I suggest it ahead of time.' Minato turned, and gave a slight smile to his long-time friend. "I think I have an answer to that, but I'm going to have to keep it under wraps…I'll let you know if the worst is to happen."

"That is as it should be. I look forward to a long retirement, and I hope that my advice, in matters such as this, can help make it a permanent one." Sarutobi nodded as he stood and left the office. 'With any luck, I can get home to my painting now…Ah the joys of retirement, nothing but painting and long morning naps…'

xXxXxXx

Several Months Later, October 11th

"It came to this after all, Minato. You just couldn't keep me out of retirement longer than a few short years, eh?" Sarutobi sat in his office, once more on the paperwork side of the desk, and looked at the small child that was left with him. There was a great grief in his voice, and weariness to his form, showing the truth to his sixty odd years of age. Alongside the small child, a seal prominent on his stomach, were four other youths, around the same age. Too young to remember what was about to happen, and each destined to become a member of one of the minor clans of the village.

"Now it just remains to be seen which one will watch over you…I wonder if it will be Shikaku or Choza who take you in, they both have surprisingly large hearts…" The door opened behind him, and Sarutobi smiled at the appearance of a woman with spiky brown hair and slit eyes. Red markings appeared on her cheeks, and a slight frown etched across her lips.

"So, Tsume, the Inuzuka will bear this burden in secret then?" Tsume nodded. She held out her hand, and the Hokage pricked her finger gently enough to gather the necessary amount of blood. The tiniest of pricks was applied to one of the sleeping children, and the boy amazingly grunted and did not cry out. Turning to the last child, the blonde one with whiskered markings and blue eyes staring at the old man, Sarutobi sighed. "You will have to keep his name you know? To keep his identity hidden though he will have to be raised without the moniker of Namikaze…"

Tsume eyed the Hokage carefully and nodded. "I understand. His name will be Naruto Inuzuka, an adopted orphan." Sarutobi nodded at this. "It is a name that has been given in the past of the Inuzuka, to represent the maelstrom of claws in our Gatsuuga, and will not stand out greatly. As he is to be raised in my clan, I will raise him as part of my family personally." Sarutobi smiled at this, turning to the young blonde child. With a prick of the boy's finger, the blood ran into him as well. The blonde seemed to tear slightly at this, but did not cry out. 'Your son is astounding Minato…but it will be many years before he is known as the next Namikaze.'

Sarutobi and Tsume watched in interest as the boy's hair color and eyes changed slightly. He became closer in appearance to that of the Inuzuka. Tsume smiled, marveling at the wonders of their Hokage. His cheeks took on three red markings, similar to the normal clan markings but slightly different. His hair became a lighter blonde, closer to a dusty brown color. "Yes, I believe he and Kiba will get along quite nicely as siblings. Though, Kiba may be a bit put out when he's older and realizes he has a younger brother…" Sarutobi chuckled as well, looking at the now changed youth.

"As with anything in the leaf village though, it is the older generation that watches over the newer. Thank you for your help Tsume and I hope the child is raised well in your care." Crossing his hands, several images resembling the child appeared. "Please take Naruto with you, and your son. The others will be called in to pick up one of the doppelgangers. When you all leave, there will be likelihood of investigations by the villagers. Remind them that this is a topic that warrants death if discussed." Tsume nodded and bowed low to the Hokage.

"I will do as you ask Lord Hokage. Naruto will be raised as part of the Inuzuka, and will become a great ninja under my watch."

xXxXxXx

Two boys with spiky brown hair ran around an outside park. One had slitted brown irises, and the other blue. Both of them though were laughing as they joined the other children playing together on an afternoon day. The other distinguishing difference was the three red marks on each cheek of the blue-eyed boy and the one solid red triangle on the cheeks of the brown-eyed boy. Other than that though, the two shared an uncanny similarity in looks.

"Come on bro, you expect speed like that to be able to keep up with me!" The boys were running through the park, playing a game of tag with some of the other kids.

"Kiba, stop running so fast! It's not my fault you're a year older than me, dang it!" The blue eyed boy put on a burst of speed to catch up to his older brother.

"Jeez Naruto, you still have energy left? You've been chasing me for almost an hour now!" Naruto apparently did not hear his brother as he picked up his speed again and gave a flying tackle, dragging the older boy to the ground. Rolling and tumbling, the two began to wrestle on the ground, fighting with each other. "Did you have to tackle me, you little pipsqueak?" Naruto for his part gave his older brother a smug look as he placed him in a choke hold.

"I may be a pipsqueak, but I'm still stronger and can run faster than you, Kiba!" The older boy struggled for a bit, and finally sighed in defeat.

"Fine, you win this round. Now come on, the others are waiting." Naruto nodded and let his brother rise to his feet.

"Kiba! Naruto! Come on, we have to go home. Mom's got dinner waiting for you!" Both boys flinched at the call of an older girl from the other side of the park.

"Man, why does Hana always have to ruin our fun, huh?" Kiba shook his head at his younger brother and ruffled his hair a bit. "Sorry guys, we'll catch up with you later, okay?" A group of kids called farewells to the two as they left the park. Hana looked down at the two of them smiling and pulled them both into a hard hug.

"Aw, sis, get off! You always do stuff like this!" Kiba complained and tried to pull away, as did Naruto.

"What, I'm not allowed to show a little affection to my little brothers? Besides, looks like you two are becoming quite the schoolyard favorites!" Kiba rolled his eyes, while Naruto looked to just smile up at the girl. "But, it's a good thing you came when you did, as mom says the next litter of nin-dogs is about to come in. You both get to meet your partner's tonight."

Both boys turned and stared at each other wide eyed and smiling. "Wicked…" Hana smiled at the chorus and quickly spun around so she was behind the two of them.

"Come on you two, I already told you mom has dinner waiting…" As she led the boys off they both exploded into questions about the nin-dogs, and partners, and what it was like to work with a nin-dog. Both of them knew the answers to these questions already, but they were both to energetic to really remember much.

xXxXxXx

Naruto sat on a rock ledge, overlooking a small pond. It was at the back of a small house, with a fence running around a compound. There was no one around, and there seemed to be loud noises coming from inside the house. He sadly skipped rocks across the surface of the pond, trying to block out the sounds of revelry.

'Stupid pups…why didn't any of them choose me? Akamaru came right up to Kiba, no problem. But all the others just stayed away or growled at me…Mom says it has happened before, but…but what if I never get a partner?' Naruto shook off his thoughts to skip another stone across the pond, deliberately trying to keep his eyes thoughts from wandering. He threw the stone a bit too hard, and watched it sail past the edge of the pond, hitting something in the bush. The creature cried out, similar to a dog, and Naruto was instantly on his feet. 'Oh crap, what if I hit one of the house dogs on accident! Mom's gonna be so mad!' Naruto was on his feet and instantly across the pond, running around the edge as fast as he could.

When he got there, he saw a fox mother, who was heavy with kits. 'Oh man, this is bad, I really clipped her good…I'll take her inside, see if mom can do anything about this…' Naruto reached out and was surprised when the fox did not lash out at him. Carefully, he picked the fox up and carried her quickly to the house. "Mom! Come quick!" Tsume opened the door as Naruto approached, and saw the fox carried in his arms. Not asking anything, she took the boy inside and led him past the party area to the veterinary ward. The older Inuzuka gave him a stern look as she opened the door to the clinic.

"I'm not going to ask what happened, but you will explain later. I'm going to help this mother, and then I want to hear your side of the story." Naruto looked down at his feet, but nodded solemnly to his mother. For several hours, Naruto sat outside, and when his mother finally emerged, she shook her head, and gave the boy a long stare.

"I…I was just skipping stones outside. I guess I lost track of how hard I was throwing, because one of my shots went across the pond and into some bushes…I really didn't mean to hit her mom! Is she going to be alright?" Tsume could see the contrition in the boy's face, and hear it in his voice. His smell gave off fear and worry, as well as guilt.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but she's not going to make it. Unfortunately, the birthing was a bit premature, and her head injury was rather harsh. However, one pup did survive, and I'm going to be working with it to make sure it reaches adulthood." Naruto's head sank down, and she heard the boy sniffle once or twice. His mumblings though made her prick up her ears.

"What was that?" Tsume looked down with slight concern in her eyes at her adopted son.

"I want to help raise it. I…I feel really guilty, and I know you have other stuff to do…so please, let me help raise it! I promise I'll do whatever you ask to take care of the pup." Tsume felt her eyes widen a bit, but nodded her head. She watched as the boy's smile widened, and she gave the kid a grin of her own.

"I'll help you out, but you're going to have to do exactly as I say. Would you like to meet him?" Naruto nodded, and the woman smiled at the boy. As they walked in, they saw a small carrier on a table, just high enough for Naruto to see into. Inside, there was a small baby fox, brown fur covering his body. He had a large head, and looked up at Naruto with big eyes.

Naruto reached his hand forward, and Tsume almost pulled the boy back. Before she could though, the fox pupped had leaned forward and started licking the boys hand. 'I've never seen a fox act like that before…' She was even more startled when she saw the markings on his cheek's begin to glow faintly. 'This is his partner…a fox? Well, there goes our great secrecy, Sarutobi. Still, there are records of it happening in the olden days, so I might be able to play this off.' Tsume turned to the boy and gave him a warm smile. "Well Naruto, if your cheek markings are any indication, I'd say you found your partner. Do you want to name him?" Naruto blinked, and nodded at his mom.

"I think Kurama would be a good name for a fox. I think…I think I'm supposed to work with a fox named Kurama." Tsume smiled at the boy, and watched as the light on his cheeks seemed to fade a bit. She was surprised though when instead of going out, they took on a deep red color. The color from the markings raced down his face and arms, red leading a trail of blue that sank into the fox pup. In an instant, the chakra had transferred from Naruto to Kurama. The only problem was, all of Tsume's hackles were fighting to stand on end in fear. When nothing more happened and the feeling passed, she turned to look at the boy. Fighting down her emotions, she put a smile on her face and looked at Naruto.

"That's a great name. I'm sure Kurama and Akamaru will also get along well. Since Kurama is a bit younger though, you'll have to wait awhile before training with him like Kiba and Akamaru." Naruto nodded, a smile on his face.

"I did get a partner after all…" Tsume smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. She pulled a bottle from the rack next to her, and handed it down to him. "We're going to be the best partners, huh Kurama?"

xXxXxXx

"Alright, last day of the academy! Come on Kiba, Akamaru, get up and let's go! We're gonna learn so much cool stuff once we graduate, and be so impressive!" A dusty blonde haired boy with a fox draped around his neck charged around his brother's room. Kiba for his part hit his head on the ceiling and turned to give his brother a murderous glare. The boy was wearing his now standard shinobi garb, a brown overcoat with brown fur at his collar and wrists, as well as around the base. It blended in nicely with Kurama's color. Black shinobi pants and steel-toed boots completed the get up. Though Kiba could not see the armor directly, he knew his little brother was wearing the clan armor and mesh shirts underneath the clothing. 'He always dresses to the nines, even when we don't have too…'

"Get out of my room pipsqueak, I need to get dressed!" Akamaru yipped from the top bunk of the bunk bed.

"It's not your room, it's our room lazy mutt! I mean, come on, just because you're a whole year older, you're going to hold that over my head?" The fox draped around his shoulders leaned up and nipped him in the ear. "Ow! Damn it Kurama, not you too!" The fox snickered slightly and yawned again.

"Listen to your partner and get out for a second. Go get breakfast ready if you are so excited and everything." Kiba shifted and rolled out of bed, watching as his brother left the room. He pulled out a matching grey version of his brother's coat, as well as some black shinobi pants and sandals. After he was dressed, he came out to the dining room to find his sister, mom, and Naruto all gathered around the table.

"Nervous Kiba? I mean, you do have to live up to your younger brother's reputation and all, right?" Kiba shot his sister a murderous glare as he poured himself a bowl of cereal.

"Just because spaz here has more energy than anyone else doesn't mean I have to worry about keeping up." Naruto snickered across the table and smirked at his brother.

"Don't be mad that I did better than you on the sensory test…" Kiba gave the boy a harsh glare.

"You only did better on the hearing portion, I still have you beat on the smelling bit." Naruto shrugged and dug into his meal. Tsume shook her head and finished a bite of bacon as she looked at the two brothers.

"The both of you will be just fine. You have the basics down, and have your beast clones to cover for you. On top of that, you have some of the best marks in the academy overall." Naruto hmphed angrily and bit into some more of his food.

"Yeah, except for the stupid emo-teme and the big pink brainiac." Kiba smirked at his brother out of the corner of his eyes.

"You sure you're not crushing on that girl? You do sure like to complain a lot about how she always does better than you on the homework…" Naruto blushed slightly and growled at his older brother, getting a laugh out of the boy. "Just messing with you, I know you don't really care for any of the girls in the class." Naruto shook his head in dismissal, and then glanced at the clock.

"Aw crap, if we don't hurry we're going to miss the upfront seats! Stupid emo-teme and his fan club always take the best seats if you're not fifteen minutes early!" Kiba rolled his eyes at his brother and dug into his meal a bit more. "I'll see you there bro, make sure you're not late or I'll graduate without you!" Kiba growled and ran to the window to shout after his brother.

"Even if you graduate before me, I'm still gonna be Hokage a hundred years before you will!" Tsume and Hana sighed and shook their heads. Their boys were just always like this it seemed.

xXxXxXx

Later that afternoon, Jounin Lounge

"Looks like we have a bunch of strong graduates this year huh?" A man with long, stand up silver hair stood by one of the corners, next to a burly man with black hair and a slight beard. Both of them were wearing a standard shinobi set of pants and shirt, with flak-jackets covering their chests, and weapon pouches on both of their hips. The silver haired man had a mask covering his face, whereas his compatriot had a cigarette hanging from his lips.

"Yeah, though I really wanted to build up another Ino-Shika-Cho trio…too bad you get Shikamaru and I get stuck with Naruto." The black haired man took a drag on his cigarette as his partner glanced up in thought. One of his eyes was covered with a leaf village headband, and he seemed to have just paused from reading an orange colored book.

"You know, I would be willing to trade you Shikamaru for Naruto…I'm used to running black-ops missions, and not really good at this whole teaching thing…If you want to, we can trade, and I'll petition the Hokage to have me train them as a hunter squad." The man next to him stiffened slightly at the unusual idea.

"Are you sure Kakashi? Most hunter squads are made up of Chunin that undergo special training to take on those sorts of missions…" Kakashi just shrugged and seemed to go back to his book for a moment.

"Well, Sasuke will undoubtedly be a good in close combatant with his Sharingan, and I can be his second. Naruto is an Inuzuka, and his tracking skills are apparently only second to the next clan heir. And Sakura supposedly could become strong at genjutsu, and possibly medical ninjutsu. That would make a perfect hunter squad if I could get them up to speed." Kakashi put his book away and turned to look at the man with a steady and friendly gaze. "What do you say, Asuma? Up for a little trade?" Asuma chuckled and put out his cigarette.

"Sure, sounds good to me. Let's go see if the old man is up for a little switch up from the plan…"

xXxXxXx

Naruto sat in the front row, Sasuke Uchiha on his right and the window on his left. A grin was plastered across his face, waiting for his turn to take the exam. "Naruto Inuzuka, come to the testing room now." Naruto turned to give Sasuke a friendly and challenging smirk.

"Heh, well Sasuke, let's see which one of us is Rookie of the Year! Best of luck to you!" Sasuke just turned to give him an apathetic glare.

"Hn. Like a loudmouth like you could best an Uchiha." Naruto felt his glare tighten a bit, and Kurama raised his head off of Naruto's shoulder to look the man in the eyes with a harsh glare.

"Naruto, you need to go now!" A yell from Iruka-sensei had Naruto moving at a fast pace.

"Coming Iruka-sensei." Naruto let a low growl escape his throat as he walked past the Uchiha. As he did, he heard the whispers from Sasuke's assembled fan club.

_'Who does Naruto think he is?' 'Getting Sasuke riled up as always…why do those two have to fight?' 'Oh well, at least they both are cute when they are angry…'_

Shaking his head at the last one, Naruto rounded the corner and came into the testing room.

"Alright, in order to pass, you need to demonstrate two academy techniques, and some form of the clone technique. Any additional techniques will go towards raising your overall score." The proctor barely looked up from his exam, not giving the boy a second glance.

"Alright. I'm going to demonstrate the rope escape jutsu, and the substitution jutsu. For the clone technique, I'm going to use the man beast clone, as well as several Inuzuka jutsu" That got the bored instructor, Mizuki-sensei, to look up from his clipboard.

"Ah, another Inuzuka. Alright kid, get on with it. Your clan has never had a failed ninja, so I know you have this stuff down." Mizuki watched with mild interest as the fox jumped from the boys shoulder before being fed a military pill. In an instant the red fox had its color deepen and its eyes became red and slitted. The aura of chakra coming from the two was palpable, and ominous, surprising for one his age. When the two transformed, there were two identical Naruto's standing there, their faces having deeper than usual tribal markings, and their eyes both blood shot red with black slits. They had sizeable claws now, and the fangs from his face were terrifyingly long.

The chakra radiating from the boy was also slightly visible, though the former ominous feeling was missing. Mizuki nodded, and wiped some sweat from his brow. 'This kid has got a _lot_ of power for his age…no wonder he's second ranked to the Uchiha.' Motioning for the boy to continue, Mizuki watched as they performed flawless examples of the All Four's jutsu, as well as the legendary Gatsuuga. After that, the two academy techniques were flawlessly demonstrated. "All right, you pass. Now come and grab a headband and then call for Uchiha Sasuke, he's next." Naruto nodded and gave a quick 'yes, sensei' before disappearing out the door. Mizuki shook his head as he watched him go. 'If we could give points for amount of chakra, that kid would definitely have the Uchiha beat…'

xXxXxXx

"Alright, that concludes the tests for the day. To those who have passed, there is a week off before you must return here for team assignments. I will post the individual rankings on the board at that time as well." The class gave some various responses and Iruka shook his head. Another bland year, though this one had several stand out ninja. He was surprised when a dirty blonde head of hair came up to his desk.

"Sensei, thank you for everything. You have been a very good teacher, and I've enjoyed working with you." Iruka was surprised at the bow he got from Naruto, but returned a slight one back as well.

"It's no problem Naruto. I enjoy teaching. Actually, since you had the best scores on the listening portion of the surveillance exam, would you like to learn a scouting jutsu with me over the next week or so?" Naruto blinked but then a grin came over his face.

"Would I ever! That'd be awesome, I can't wait to tell Kiba about this!" Noticing a questioning look from Iruka, Naruto pulled himself back into a respectful pose. "That is, uh, once I get it down of course…" Iruka shook his head but smiled and ruffled the kid's hair.

"Come on out back, I'll show it to you. It's an echolocation technique, so your acute hearing should come in really handy for this." Naruto nodded, moving away from the academy with Iruka in tow.

xXxXxXx

One week later

"Welcome back everyone. This is the last time I'm going to serve as your academy instructor, so I want you all to listen to my last words. From today, all of you are the adult ninja of this village. Please remember everything you have learned here, and continue to build upon your shinobi career. When you look back, these will be some of the calmer and better times of your adult life." Naruto sort of phased out of the rest of Iruka's speech, practicing his chakra pulse technique while he had the chance. He managed to get it down in a week with Iruka, who thought the boy's work ethic was astounding. Currently, he could only just pulse his chakra in a sphere, and make out objects and shapes from a couple hundred feet away. Solid walls still got in his way, but he was getting better at making out basic faces and body outlines at least.

"Alright, the class rankings are as such…" Naruto stopped using the chakra pulse and looked up hesitantly towards the board. "Rookie of the year, Uchiha Sasuke…" A large chorus of cheers went around the room at this news, and Naruto cursed vehemently under his breath. 'Oh well, at least that means that I'm not on the same team as him…the Rookie always gets placed with the dead-last, so I'm out of that problem.' "Runner up…Inuzuka Naruto…" Naruto smirked and gave a thumbs up to his seat mate, who smirked and shook his head.

"You made it close though, Inuzuka. You were only trailing me by ten points." Naruto smiled at that. 'The bastard is not so bad sometimes I guess. Still, glad I won't have to work with him, probably end up with that lazy Shikamaru.' Naruto again phased out of listening as he worked on his technique. He went back to putting his head down on his desk, waiting for the team announcements to come.

"Alright, the team announcements are as follows…Team Seven will be Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura," a loud cry of victory rang out from the fan club section, "…and Inuzuka Naruto." Dead silence rang throughout the class.

"Wait a second Iruka-sensei, I thought the dead last and the Rookie of the Year were supposed to be paired up? Why am I on the team and Shikamaru isn't?" Naruto gave Iruka a questioning look and the Chuunin just shrugged in response.

"I'm not sure why we're not following the normal pattern, but that isn't happening this year. Sorry Naruto, but you're stuck with Sasuke and Sakura." Naruto shrugged and gave Sasuke a cocky look.

"Guess we just get a couple more years to compete, eh Sasuke?" The boy smirked back and nodded.

"It'll be good to have someone as strong as you to test myself against." Sakura happened to be sitting next to Sasuke, and she smiled a bit.

"We're really lucky, we have the top three kids in our class on the same team. No way we don't all blow everyone out of the water!" Sakura smiled to her new teammates. '_Cha! We totally have the two class hunks for teammates! Take that Ino-pig!'_

"Now that that's over with, Team Eight will be Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino." Kiba smirked down to his younger brother.

"Don't get a big head Naruto, I bet your teacher won't be near as awesome as mine will!" Naruto stuck his tongue out at his brother who returned the rude gesture by pulling down his eyelid in response.

"WILL YOU ALL QUIT ACTING LIKE CHILDREN ALREADY!" Iruka's big head transformation scared all the kids back into order. "Now then, Team 10 will be Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Choji, and Nara Shikamaru. All of you are to wait here for your Jonin instructor, who will meet with you after lunch. Team Eleven will be..." Iruka's voice continued to drone on, and Naruto pushed his voice out of his head...

xXxXxXx

Naruto pulled out his bento box as he sat on one of the benches in the park. Looking up, he saw Sasuke approach and raise a single eyebrow in question. Naruto nodded and gave him a seat on the bench. Sakura quickly rounded the corner, and blushed heavily upon seeing the Uchiha. Naruto rolled his eyes, but again moved over so the girl could have a seat. "So, teammates, huh? What exactly do you think they put the three best in class on a team for?" Sakura looked up at Naruto's question, tearing her eyes off of Sasuke. 'Jeez she's obsessed…' She was wearing a pink dress with black shorts underneath, concealing her weapons pouch. Sasuke for his part had on a pair of khaki shorts and blue top with the Uchiha fan on the back of his shirt. Arm guards covered in white padding covered his wrist to his elbows.

"Well, we have a tracker in you, Naruto, and a fighter in Sasuke. Since I have perfect chakra control, I'll probably be encouraged to take up genjutsu and medical techniques. Probably some interrogation too… Squads like that I think work as hunter-nin squads…" Naruto blinked in surprise at her answer. Hunter-nin squads usually had an Inuzuka in the ranks, so it wasn't that surprising once he thought about the team makeup.

"I have no problem with being on a hunter-nin squad, so long as you both put in your all. I want to not only be the best this year, but become one of the best that Konoha has to offer." Sasuke kept his gaze on his food as he dug into his lunch. 'Especially since if I want to defeat Itachi, even with the help of you two, we're going to need to be some of the best.'

"I've got no problem with that myself. Me and Kurama here are determined to become the Hokage, right boy?" The fox opened one eye with a smile, and gave a short nod.

"You really think an Inuzuka could become Hokage, Naruto?" Naruto turned to her and gave a sharp nod.

"Inuzuka have always stuck close to the Hokages. As such, we are known for being advisors and relatives to the Senju. It's not too much of stretch to see us getting there if we work hard." Sakura smiled at him. The guy, for all of his rough edges at times, was full of confidence at least.

"Well, I can see you making it, but cute little Kurama here seems like he just wants to sleep all the time." Sakura reached out and scratched behind the foxes ears, who merely smiled in response and leaned into it a bit.

"Oh, seems he likes you! So far, he's only let you and that weird Hyuuga girl touch him." Sakura gave Naruto a frown at that, and lightly flicked him in the forehead above his metal protector.

"Ow! What was that for Sakura?" Sasuke sighed as he looked straight at Naruto.

"You know, you may be able to sense people's movements, but you apparently are bad at reading people's emotions…" Naruto blinked owlishly at that once or twice, before letting out a low growl.

"Say's the guy who has no emotions! You calling me stupid, you bastard?" Naruto was cut off by Kurama turning and nipping him on the ear. "Oh, sorry Kurama, I keep forgetting that my yelling hurts your ears." Kurama closed his eyes and leaned in more for Sakura to pet him.

Sasuke finished his bento and stood up suddenly. "I'm finished, so I'm going to go wait in the room. I'll see you both there." Sasuke left, not turning back to see the nods of acknowledgement from Naruto and Sakura.

"That guy can really be a stick in the mud when he wants to, huh?" Naruto turned to Sakura who only nodded slightly.

"Yeah, but he's had a pretty harsh childhood. I'm just worried about being on this hunter squad Naruto…you don't think they assembled us to help Sasuke with his…family issues, do you?" Naruto shrugged in response.

"I don't know Sakura, but that doesn't seem like the Hokage's style. Maybe, but I'm not sure." He shrugged again, and scratched Kurama underneath the chin. "No matter what though, we're definitely going to need to get stronger to work as a hunter-nin squad." He smiled at the girl for a second. "If you want, I can ask my mom about having you come over and learn some medic-nin stuff…she's no Tsunade, but she can at least teach you the basics." Sakura smiled at him. It had been really rough for her, as she did not come from a ninja family. Becoming the third best student in the class had taken her entire effort.

"Thanks Naruto. You really are a sweet guy underneath your loudmouth act. And you are rather respectful when you want to be." Naruto grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head with his hand.

"No problem, let's go meet up with emo-prince and wait for our sensei." Sakura shook her head at the boy, but nodded and followed after him.

xXxXxXx

'Hm…the team dynamic doesn't seem as bad as I feared…the Inuzuka kid is interesting to say the least. Especially with a fox for a partner. On top of that, with what the Hokage informed me of when I took the team, that boy may very well be a dangerous ninja already.' Kakashi sighed as he jumped through the trees. 'Guess I have to show up on time for this team, they actually seem to know what they are doing. Sorry Obito, but I'll pay you a visit later.'

xXxXxXx

Asuma stood in the academy class, leaning back against a blackboard as he watched the students filter into the classroom. 'Still can't believe the old man agreed to Kakashi's request. That team should be scary good by the time that they get done with his training.' He turned as a black haired beauty walked into the class room. Wavy black hair, piercing red eyes, and an outfit of a red dress with white wraps to hug all the right curves drew Asuma's approving glance. "Looking good Kurenai. New outfit for the Jonin promotion?" Yuuhi Kurenai rolled her eyes at her longtime friend and acquaintance Sarutobi Asuma.

"Can't have all of you male Jonin setting the fashion standard for us ninja. If we did, then Gai would probably lead the charge on wearing jumpsuits." Asuma shuddered appreciatively at that, and looked over the group.

"Doesn't look like we have too many trendsetters in this group, so that's a plus for once." As he said that, the door opened behind them and the two turned to see Hatake Kakashi walk in, looking rather sheepish. "Surprised to see you here so early Kakashi…" Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, continuing to give an eye smile of embarrassment.

"Well, you see, I was thinking that we were supposed to be here when the academy started, so I thought I was already late." Asuma blinked in surprise. 'That's an actually decent lie Kakashi. Guess you must have seen something in your team that you liked…maybe I shouldn't have traded Naruto…' Kurenai though did not catch the lie from the older Jonin and shook her head in embarrassment for the man.

"You really do need to work on that tardiness issue you know?" Kurenai sighed as she looked over the class. "Oh well, at least I got the reconnaissance squad I wanted, what about you two?" Asuma shrugged and looked over the class makeup.

"So long as they all pass, which I'm sure they will, we should have a second coming of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio…" Asuma pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, but when he got a disapproving glare from his female compatriot sighed and returned it to the pack.

"From what I managed to see, I think I'm going to get a nice hunter-nin group…I really hope they pass, I actually want to teach this team." Kakashi turned at that moment to look at Kurenai. "Say, I was wondering…would you be interested in helping my female student with Genjutsu techniques when the time comes? I only know the basic D-A rank ones of Hell Viewing. Nothing more than that." Kurenai gave the man a small smile before nodding.

"But I'm expecting help in kind Kakashi. You are one of the better infiltration experts, so if my team can pick you up, I'll know that they have some of the basic skill sets down that they need." Kakashi eye-smiled in return.

"Sounds like a deal." At that moment, Naruto and Sakura walked into the classroom and joined Sasuke at the front. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have a genin team to test." Asuma blinked in surprise.

"Not going to wear them down like usual Kakashi?" Kakashi shook his head and gave a thumbs up as he walked forward.

"I like this one Asuma, I want them to pass." Asuma shrugged and smiled. Kakashi seemed to actually be interested for once, so who was he to judge.

"Alright, Team Seven, right?" His presence got a nod from Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura." Kakashi looked them over carefully, and nodded to himself. "My first impression of you…is that you are not all entirely worthless." Smiling inwardly at the various looks of shock and outrage playing across their face, Kakashi held up a hand before they could get too riled. "Meet me on the roof in two minutes. I want to get to know all of you." With that, Kakashi disappeared from the room in a shunshin, leaving a startled group of kids behind.

"Come on, we got to hurry! I'm not letting that bastard get away from me!" Naruto was up and out of his seat, with Sakura and Sasuke rushing behind them.

"Wait up Naruto…Jeez, that guy is full of energy…" Sasuke raced to catch up to the disappearing blonde, Sakura pulling close behind. Two minutes later found the three of them panting on the roof top, looking at a calmly seated Kakashi. The man did not even look the slightest bit winded and was happily reading and giggling to a little orange book.

"Oh, you all made it. Good! Now we can get some team introductions done." Naruto had already sat down, and Kurama leapt off his shoulders, stretched, and then growled lightly at Kakashi before curling up on Naruto's lap. "Since fido there doesn't seem to like me, why don't you go first?"

"Sure. My name is Inuzuka Naruto. My partner's name is Kurama. Unlike most Inuzuka, Kurama is a fox, which means his hearing is superb, but his sense of smell is not quite as good as some of the nin-dogs." Kurama bit at his hand, but Naruto pulled it away quickly. "He doesn't agree with that, but it is true. I am also skilled in the Inuzuka techniques, and have mastered the basic academy techniques. My chakra control is sub-par, though that's due to my larger than normal reserves. I like going for walks with Kurama, and I dislike cats of any kind. My hobbies are gardening and cooking. My dream for the future is to beat my brother to the title of Hokage." Kakashi nodded at all this, surprised by the amount of detail.

"I didn't know you liked to cook Naruto! I thought Kiba said that he hates cooking because the smells make his nose feel weird." Naruto chuckled at Sakura's question.

"That's because Kiba has an overly sensitive nose…I once put some chili powder on Akamaru, and whenever Kiba got near him he would sneeze for over a week straight!" Kurama seemed to snicker at that and snuggle closer to Naruto's lap. Kakashi smiled at the display and nodded to Sasuke.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I am skilled at the academy basics, as well as fire ninjutsu, wire and kunai techniques, and my clans interceptor style. I don't particularly like anything, but I have a feeling that I might enjoy working with this team. By the same token, I do not dislike anything except incompetent people. I have no hobbies. Though I may not have a dream, I have two goals. The resurrection of my clan, and avenging my clan's murder." All of the other's sweat dropped at the final statement, and Kakashi shook his head.

'Getting him to come around and not be a flight risk is going to be a lot of work.' He turned to see the dreamy, far eyed look that Sakura gave him. 'Especially while turning her into a decent kunoichi…oh well, at least Naruto seems well balanced. Though I wonder how meeting the fox and learning about his hidden past will affect him…'

"So, it's the fire ninjutsu's that probably put you as rookie of the year huh? I kept asking mom to let me start on elemental training, but she said that getting my teamwork down with Kurama came first." Sasuke shrugged, and gave a non-committal smile.

"Probably. If you want, I'll teach them to you if you come by and spar with me a couple of times." Naruto grinned back as well.

"Definitely. That would totally be wicked to get some fire techniques down." Kakashi felt this was the right moment to cut in.

"Let's worry about training later, we have one introduction left to go." The slight side notes had seemed to give Sakura a second to compose herself.

"Right. My name is Haruno Sakura. I am skilled in the academy basics, as well as setting advanced traps. I also have very high chakra control, and got the best academic grades in the academy. I also have slight proficiency in genjutsu, but only for recognizing and breaking them for now. I'd like to work on improving that and medical ninjutsu skills, as well as some interrogation skills." The girl paused for a moment to glance over to Sasuke. "My likes are…um…well…I like boys that are quiet and respectful, but that are also very strong. I dislike overly loud idiot guys that try to get me to go on dates with them. My hobbies are needlework, and singing karaoke. My dream for the future is to lead a strong kunoichi career, then retire and settle down to raise a family." Kakashi smiled a bit at the last one, surprised that she seemed to also have some idea about where she wanted to go. 'Between the three of them, that's the most reasonable introduction I've heard yet.'

"Right then. Guess I'll go last. My name is Hatake Kakashi. I am a highly skilled jonin with a large number of techniques. I have many likes…but I'm not sharing that with you yet. As for my dislikes…those are rather personal. Same for my hobbies and dreams." Kakashi felt his grin grow behind his mask, but he kept it from his eyes. The looks of shock on their face were just too perfect. "However, if you can pass my little test today, I am going to make it my goal to turn you three into a powerful hunter-nin team."

"Huh? Test?" The triple chorus, even from the stoic Uchiha had Kakashi practically ready to bust a gut.

"That's right, a test. If the three of you can pass it, I'll make you my genin squad, and train you to be hunter-nin. If you fail, then you have to come back here for a year of remedial lessons." Kakashi felt the eyes of all three narrow on him. 'Oh man, they are really fired up. This is going to be interesting.'

Pulling out some sheets of paper, Kakashi handed them to the three of them. "Sign those, then meet me at Training Ground Seven. Bring everything you might need for a survival mission. I'm looking forward to this, so try to make it within the next hour or so." Expecting them to all leap up and go at once, Kakashi was surprised when they stopped and signed the papers then and there.

"I brought enough stuff for a team survival mission, as my mom always has Kiba and I travel prepared. It's in my sealing scroll. We can take your test now Kakashi-sensei." Kakashi stiffened, and smiled at Tsume's level of doggedness. 'Makes sense though…' Kakashi chuckled at his silent pun, though he did notice the two of them hand in their forms as well.

"You both really want to trust Naruto on this? You're staking your career on his preparedness…" Sasuke shook his head and smirked at Kakashi.

"Fox boy here may have come in second to me, but he's always been on his game. Tsume-san made sure of that. If Naruto says he is ready, he is." Sakura nodded in agreement to Sasuke.

"See you at Training Ground Seven then…" Kakashi disappeared into a puff of smoke, leaving the three of them surprised when they saw a map in front of them. On it was a chibi drawing of Konoha with big black letters pointing to the marked training ground. There was also an electronic timer, showing they had five minutes to get there.

xXxXxXx

Kakashi fought, but failed to keep the chuckle from his voice when the three of them arrived at the training ground. "Glad to see you all could make it. Now then, the test is very simple." Kakashi held up two small bells.

"Your job is to get these from me. Whosoever gets a bell, will get dinner. Whosoever fails, will not, and be tied to a stump." He stood by a row of three stumps and started an alarm clock on the top. "If you fail to get a bell, or give up before the four hours is up…you get sent back to the academy for a year of remedial training." That got the reaction he was hoping for.

"What the hell! You said that we could all pass this test!" Naruto had a grim look set on his face, and Kurama had jumped down from his shoulders growling.

"I said you could all pass…I never said you would pass as a team. Now, before we go any further, there are some ground rules. You must come at me with the intent to kill. Don't hold back." Naruto growled even further.

"I've got intent to kill alright you goddamn prick!" Naruto was almost shaking with anger at the moment. Sasuke, though controlled much better, was also visibly peeved.

"Shut up Naruto! You know I hate it when you yell!" Sakura herself was looking rather worried about the whole idea. _'Cha! One second he's so cool, then the next a total idiot! But, he's still not gonna get a bell before me!' _

'Well, that worked rather easily.' "Other than that, you may start when I say go." Kakashi looked at them all as they tensed to move. "Go." In a blur the three ninja disappeared, Kurama stashed safely around Naruto's neck once more. "Well, at least they all know how to hide adequately…"

xXxXxXx

"Psst…Sakura…I have a plan." Sakura turned to see Naruto approaching her.

"What do you want Naruto?" Naruto rolled his eyes at her fearful tone. 'She really thinks I'm coming here to knock her out of the competition, doesn't she?'

"Look, I did some thinking, and I figured something out. You and Sasuke have more to lose than I do by failing." Sakura blinked in surprise at him. "I mean, Kiba's already in this year, so the teams will probably have an Inuzuka anyways. I can join next year and be just fine. On top of that, you like Sasuke. I'd be a prick to pull you away from him." Sakura found a kind smile come to her face and tears well at the corners of her eyes. She bit her lip but nodded, not trusting her voice for a second.

"Let's find Sasuke then. If we work together, I'm sure the two of you can get a bell no problem."

xXxXxXx

Sasuke felt the arrival of Kakashi's chakra signature nearby. 'Shit, he knows where I am…' Three more signatures landed close by as well. 'And there here too…this is bad.'

"Sasuke, we've decided to work together to fight Kakashi. Come out and join us." Sasuke heard Sakura's voice come from the direction of Naruto's signature. 'Alright, maybe with their help we can do this…let's hope they don't get in my way…'

"Teaming up is valiant and all, but who's going to be left behind I wonder?" Sasuke moved as quickly as he could to dodge a drop kick that smashed the branch he'd been hiding on. In a second he was racing across the forest to meet up with the others. They stood in an open clearing, facing towards Kakashi's last location. "I'll be generous and give you ten minutes to strategize." His voice carried over the clearing, and he saw the three animatedly begin talking.

xXxXxXx

'Well, their ten minutes are up...let's see how they do..' "Deciding to face me openly in the field is honorable and all…but remember, we're ninja. Honor isn't really supposed to be a strong suit for us…" The voice came from the forest, and Naruto and Kurama tensed.

"Alright Kurama, let's show him what we're made of…" Naruto passed a military ration pill to the fox, who swallowed it. The foxes fur grew thicker and then seemed to grow in size. Before long, he came up to Naruto's waist at the shoulder. The change also saw the chakra of the two of them swell to an almost oppressive level. "Let's go wild. Man Beast Clone Jutsu." A puff of smoke later, two Naruto's stood there, claws of two inches or more extending from his hands. His face markings had darkened and his fangs extended. "All Fours Jutsu." The feral appearance only increased, and suddenly there was an orange chakra swirling around the two of them. Its feel was oppressive, and laden with bloodlust. Sasuke and Sakura both took a step back, wanting to give the boy some room.

'That chakra is really similar to the demon fox…but much less potent. It must be part of the bonding process that the boy went through with his fox familiar. This fight is going to be serious.' Kakashi stashed his book, then made a shadow clone to move underground towards his opponent. "Looks like someone is a little bit antsy…still, this should be fun." Kakashi burst into the clearing, charging towards the feral looking Naruto. 'I'll have to end this fast. He's got a lot of power there, and not a lot of control. One stray shot, and I'm in big trouble. Plus, I have to fight to subdue, no injuries allowed. Minato sensei really was good to beat us with no injuries.'

"Gatsuuga!" Kakashi dodged as the twin roving missiles came towards him, just managing to dip under hastily thrown kunai and shuriken from Sakura. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower" Kakashi dodged again as more of them came in, and was really surprised by the smirk on Sasuke's face, as well as the wire…

"Oh shit." Kakashi managed to bring a kunai up and cut through the wire on his left, dipping out just in time to see a flaming dragon crash where he would have been. Kakashi raised his forehead protector and brought his Sharingan to bear. 'To think they made me do this…I'm going to like teaching this team…' Kakashi watched Sasuke's movements, and waded easily through the hail of incoming projectiles of Sakura. He smiled as his clone managed to capture Sasuke and subdue the girl, only to be destroyed by a roving Gatsuuga. 'Still, looks like I can handle this…wait, where's the other Naruto…'

"Gatsuuga!" Kakashi felt the attack rip by his belt, pull off two bells, and then throw them to his teammates. "Haha! Take that Kakashi-sensei, we passed! Now who's the big bad Jonin, huh?" Kakashi spiked his killing intent ominously. He watched in satisfaction as the three cowered and he approached on them.

"Naruto…are you telling me that you sacrificed yourself for the betterment of your team? Are you throwing away your ninja career, when you claimed to want to be Hokage? And you two are fine with that?" Sasuke and Sakura both shrunk back from the terrifying man. Kurama had turned back to a fox again, and was cowering near Naruto. "ANSWER ME!"

"They…they needed to pass more than I did. There is already a probable Inuzuka in the graduating class, so my need was less than theirs. As such, I volunteered for this position." Kakashi's iron gaze swept over to the other two team members.

"And you approved of this why?" His tone was less deafening, but the chill calm of it almost unnerved them further.

"We both agreed that if we did pass, to come and help him with what we learned while training with you, no matter what you said. His dream is to be Hokage and will take time, and he accepted as much." Sasuke struggled to speak under the pressing killing intent but carried onward. "However, we both argued against that, and said that if he was going to take the fall, that we would make sure he still got some benefit from it." Kakashi's gaze grew even harder if possible.

"And if I told you doing so would be a violation of the rules of the village…are you willing to break with such to respect an oath given to a comrade?" Sasuke and Sakura both nodded, and Kakashi pushed to draw his killing intent to its fever pitch. "Then all I have to say to you, as a dispenser of justice for the village, is that you all…" his voice faded off into silence as he pulled a kunai from his pouch. The three genin were trembling in fear, and pulling back and away from him. "…PASS!" The kunai popped into an extra bento, and the three of them gave him the most confused look ever.

Moving quickly to the nearby training posts, Kakashi patted the alarm clock on the head, and saw it transform back into a bento box. "Come on, let's eat and celebrate. It's been teen years since anyone has passed this test, and I feel like eating heartily." Kakashi turned to see the burnt out expressions of disbelief on all three of his students.

"You're telling us you haven't passed a single team in ten years with this exercise?" Kakashi nodded to Naruto. "Sensei, don't take this wrong way, but do you suffer from insanity?" Kakashi turned and gave him a smirk. 'This is too much fun…' He took a piece of sushi and slowly brought it towards his masked face. In a seeming defiance of the laws of reality, the sushi passed straight through his mask, where he ate it rather pleasantly.

"Suffer from it…I enjoy every minute of it."

xXxXxXx

Alright, there's the first chapter. Yes, I did not have Naruto learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu. No, he will not go forever without learning it, he will learn it eventually. As for Mizuki, he has no chance to do much for Orochimaru at the moment, but serve as an information gather on their training methods. Yes, this will be more than a one-shot, and I plan on continuing it. No I'm not abandoning my other stories. This will most likely follow cannon fairly closely, though I can think of a few changes. I think that's about it, so let me know what you think in the reviews! Catch you all next time!


	2. Chapter 2

Wow…this is rare…I actually want to write this thing. Like a lot. Okay, here goes round two. As always, I own nothing but the original stuff.

xXxXxXx

"We really did get a nut job for a teacher, huh?" Naruto couldn't help but groan as he pulled himself to his feet, and walked over to the training posts. Sakura and Sasuke nodded dimly with him as they approached. Kurama jumped up and landed on Naruto's shoulder, nuzzling his cheek once before settling around his neck.

"That fox of yours seems really lazy Naruto…you sure it's not Shikamaru's partner?" Sakura chided as she walked over to the training post, getting a rise out of Naruto. The girl laughed, and turned surprised eyes at the smile coming from Sasuke. 'He actually smiled…I haven't seen that since before…that time.' Kakashi took that moment to cut in, handing out the lunch boxes to the group.

"Now, now Naruto, I don't think Sakura meant that literally. But I have to say, I am impressed at you three. I did not even have to tell you the words of my former sensei to get the training exercise's purpose across." Naruto grinned to himself at that one.

"That's because it was easy for an Inuzuka, Kakashi-sensei. We know that it's more important than anything else to stick close to your partners." Kurama at this point chose to nuzzle slightly against Naruto, who idly scratched the fox's cheek.

"I think my former sensei would have loved to hear that. He said that 'those who break the shinobi code may be trash. But those that abandon their comrades are lower than trash.'" Kakashi smiled as he saw Naruto nod at this, and even the lazy Kurama gave an agreeable yip. "Now then, as I said before the test, the point of this team is going to be that of a hunter-nin squad. I've been running Black Ops Missions before this, so I'm not particularly suited to training, but I do have some idea of the basics I'm going to put you through." Pausing to take a couple bites of his bento, Kakashi pulled out some slips of paper with his idle hand.

Naruto and Sakura looked idly at the papers, and Sasuke had his eyes widen in recognition. "These are chakra papers. I'm going to be training you in the first step of elemental manipulation, and passing on one or two jutsu that I know from my time in the black ops. Here, each of you take one and channel some chakra into it so we know what element you have." Kakashi paused as Naruto raised a hand like they were in class.

"We're a cell now Naruto, no need to treat this like a classroom." Naruto grinned bashfully and rubbed the back of his head with his off hand.

"Sorry Kakashi-sensei, my mom really worked me over on the whole politeness thing. Kiba got the same lessons, but he's a bit more crazy than me I guess." Kakashi gestured in an impatient manner at him. "Oh right. I wanted to ask if you have a spare for Kurama. Sometimes Inuzuka partners have a different affinity." Kakashi blinked in surprise, but pulled an extra sheet from his pocket.

"I didn't know that the nin-dogs could use techniques like ninja could…" Sakura rubbed Kurama's head idly as he stretched out in the grass next to her. Sasuke gave the fox an approving glance and smiled.

'Kakashi is really taking us seriously. I'll actually be getting purposeful training for hunting down Itachi, and have a team that might get assigned the mission. So long as I strike the killing blow, Naruto and Sakura could be an ideal team for helping me to get my revenge. But how do I get them to agree...' Sasuke kept his thoughts to himself as he accepted the sheet of paper. He grinned at the fox grasping the paper between its paws. 'A bit of an odd pair those two, but they work well together.'

"Now, depending on what your affinity is, the paper will do one of five things. If it is fire, it will burn, air it will cut, lightning it will crumple, earth it will turn to stone, and if it is water it will get wet." All of the genin nodded, except Naruto who suddenly turned to Kurama and barked in a series of short yips. The fox perked up at first, and gave a couple short yips in return. Naruto chuckled and barked back, causing the fox to growl a bit before shaking its head away from the boy in a huff.

"Everything alright with your dog?" Sasuke asked, trying to keep the amusement from out of his voice. Naruto gave the boy a quick glare and stuck his tongue out.

"It's fine emo-prince, we have things under control." Sasuke snorted at the emo-prince comment.

"Do you two have to fight…it's always like this with you two I swear…" Sakura's voice of chastisement made Sasuke look away and Naruto look down ashamedly. Kakashi, for his part, sweat dropped as he watched the three new students.

'They get cooperation, but maybe not camaraderie yet…I'll have to work on that it seems.' Coughing to get the attention of his charges, Kakashi was rewarded with four sets of eyes locking on to him. "Sasuke if you would go first please." The boy nodded silently, and sent a pulse of chakra through the paper. It indented sharply, surprising Sasuke slightly, before it burned to ash in his hand. "Two affinities, and the Sharingan. Isn't someone an over achiever, eh?" Sasuke smirked slightly at this, a haughty look on his face.

"Naruto, Kurama, if you would please." Naruto shrugged and looked to his partner. Kurama seemed to be awake for once, and channeled some of his chakra down into his paper at the same time as his partner. Naruto's burst suddenly into dozens of tiny bits, slashed apart by a strong wind affinity. Kurama's slit just once up the middle, each piece lazily floating to the ground. "Interesting that they are the same, but not entirely surprising…you two are going to have to practice together to utilize wind with your family techniques though..." Kakashi turned to Sakura who nodded, and focused some chakra into the paper. In an instant it turned into a bunch of pebbles, which then became small puddles and the girl blinked owlishly at it. "I get a whole set to play with?" Kakashi's smile was so wide that it could be seen through his face. 'Still, I am not sure why Sakura's showed earth and water…her family are ninjas, but she was adopted, and her lineage is not well known…this bears some investigation…' As he chuckled all three of the kids got an unnerving feeling and Kurama quickly slinked back towards Naruto's side.

"Well then, my first question is how all three of you are doing financially?" Sasuke grunted, and Kakashi sighed in acceptance of the answer. Naruto and Sakura shared a blink before shrugging. "Not pressed hard for cash, any of you three?" He got a head shake of no from the three genin. "Perfect. In that case, we should meet up again here tomorrow, around seven a.m. let's say. Each of you should bring enough for a team survival mission of up to one week. The academy list should suffice for this." Kakashi chuckled to himself as he pulled himself to his feet. 'I'll need to call Anko and Hana, see if they are willing to help out with a little bit of a training mission. Ooh, and see if I can get some pointers for Naruto's wind chakra training from Asuma…I get my own little cell of Black Ops, and I even get the last Uchiha, and sensei's son to teach…' Kakashi seemed to lapse into chuckles again, and all three youths backed away from him in a terrified manner.

"Um, Kakashi-sensei, I was going to have Sakura come over to see if we should work out a schedule for her medical training…should I wait on that, or still bring her over?" Naruto's question brought Kakashi out of his creepy chuckle fest rather quickly. Smiling to the dirty blonde, Kakashi gave him a thumbs up.

"Don't worry about it for now. Sakura is going to get plenty of on the job training during our next little excursion." Sakura paled slightly at this, and Naruto nodded, backing away in a similar manner to Kurama. "I'll see all of you here tomorrow morning, so take care of yourselves tonight." In a flash, Kakashi was replaced by a swirl of wind and leaves, no trace of him left.

"Why do I feel like we just got dragged into something that Shikamaru would call troublesome, eh boy?" Kurama merely yawned and nuzzled against the blonde, getting a giggle from Sakura and a smirk from Sasuke.

xXxXxXx

"Shikamaru get off your lazy ass right now! We still haven't caught Asuma sensei yet!" Yamanaka Ino was livid with rage. Her stupid teammate was not moving his arse at all, and Choji was just happily munching on a bunch of chips.

"It's way too troublesome to go out there now. Asuma said we have till seven to get his cigarette from him, and he's probably not going to do anything but hide and wait until the last minute. That way, we can bicker and not get the mission done, allowing him a chance to lecture us on teamwork. Way too much trouble, I'm gonna just stay here and watch the clouds." Ino looked as if she was about to pull her blonde hair out of her head. Her purple tank top and shorts combo, complete with shin gaurds and arm guards, as well as body wraps, was shaking in rage at the lazy boy across from her. Shikamaru could hardly notice that she was there.

"A piece of advice when dealing with Asuma…if you can henge into Yuuhi Kurenai you might have a chance of catching him off guard." Kakashi appeared in the clearing in an instant, startling the three young genin. "But, if you would wait until I've asked him my necessary questions that would help a whole lot for my sake." Kakashi looked down at a boy laying in the grass, his head shaded by his forehead protector, and a blade of grass stuck from between his teeth. He had black hair that was spiky and put up in a ponytail, and wore the Nara clan shirt and underneath it mesh armor. He sported plain black shinobi pants and weapons pouch, as well as cloth wrapped around one of his legs near his blue shinobi sandals.

"No sweat off my back. Sorry about catching you in the Shadow Bind, didn't know if you were friendly at first." Kakashi shook his head at the boy. 'This cool thinker was the dead last? I see the council has shifted the academy to be more focused on producing good citizens than ninjas. He picked me up while in a relaxed state, and snared me as soon as I arrived…definitely not dead last qualities.'

"It's no problem to me. Good luck you three, Asuma's a bit of a tough character, but you'll do fine." Kakashi disappeared in a blur again, catching Ino and Choji by surprise.

"Who was that guy Shikamaru?" Choji had to speak around a handful of chips, as he was quickly back to eating.

"Who cares? Wasn't Asuma, so we're fine for the moment. I'm going back to sleep, wake me if something troublesome happens." Ino gave the boy a derisive snort at that.

"Everything's troublesome to you…"

xXxXxXx

"Ah, hey there Kakashi, imagine seeing you here. Not trying to interrupt my test are you?" Asuma gave the man a once over to check his appearance for a transformation. Kakashi sighed and raised his headband, showing his Sharingan off. Asuma shrugged in acceptance, lowering his ready stance. "So, I take it your team passed if you're here for advice. I've got some time to kill before they make a move, so what's up?"

Kakashi lowered the eye piece as he looked at his friend. "I need some advice for wind natured chakra. I never fought against a Suna nin, and I never had to train it before so I'm in a bit of a bind. I do know the leaf cutting exercise, but not what my student should focus on." Asuma looked appreciatively at the Konoha legend and nodded.

"When they tries to focus the chakra, have them imagine it grinding against itself, as if coming from two directions. It should eventually form itself into a thin blade that way." Kakashi paused, and then looked up as understanding hit him. "Got it?" Kakashi nodded. "Now, what can you tell me about the plans of my team?" Kakashi smirked but waved his finger naughtily at Asuma before disappearing in a puff of smoke. "Damn…does he always have to act so hip and cool…" Asuma pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag on the stick.

xXxXxXx

Kakashi traipsed warily into training ground 44, trying to pay attention to his surroundings. This place was loaded with danger, and he was heading right into what was known as the forbidden section of the forest. There were sounds of hungry predators all around him, but to the elite ninja they were nothing. No, his greater worry was the cries of bloodlust coming from in front of him. 'Let's hope she accepts a peace offering of dango…'

Kakashi felt the kunai graze along his cheek, drawing a hint of blood. Just in time, he turned around to face the oft talked of Anko Mitarashi. Long purple hair was held up in a messy bun, and golden brown eyes peered out from an aquiline face. The woman seemed to radiate killing intent despite the smile on her face. Her attire was easily as disarming as her face though; a long trench coat, open in the front with only a mesh armored shirt for cover. This rested on top of a scantily short skirt that just made it down to the top of some heavy duty combat boots.

"Kakashi…just what do I owe for the pleasure of a visit from my favorite victim?" Kakashi for his part pulled a package from his back pocket. When Anko saw that it was a scroll, she eyed him warily.

"Now, I was just wondering if you would be interested in helping one of my students. She has an interest in learning some torture techniques, and she said she wants to be a powerful kunoichi in her own right someday…so, I just thought you'd be perfect for the job." Anko smiled knowingly at the hidden compliments, but gestured at the scroll.

"That payment for me then? I don't teach for free you know?" Kakashi sighed and nodded his head slightly.

"Let's call this a free meal to establish our terms…" Kakashi unsealed the scroll and a puff of smoke later, there was a large plate of fresh dango in front of them.

"Now, that is the way into a women's heart Kakashi…Let's sit down and eat, shall we?" As Anko said this, a rather large snake swept into the clearing and placed itself between the two. Kakashi was surprised when Anko set it on the snake's back and motioned him closer. "We have to share the meal to discuss the terms you know?" As she said this, the snake turned and hissed in Kakashi's direction. Anko smiled at his slight sweat drop. 'Teasing Hatake is always too much fun…'

xXxXxXx

"So…you want to train one of Naruto's friends as a medic-nin, and you want me to approve sending Hana, my current medic in training and his sister, into a dangerous training ground for a week with limited supervision…do I have that correct Hatake?" Kakashi felt sweat bead at the back of his head with the way Tsume was glaring at him, but managed to force himself to nod at her in the affirmative. "You…are a very ballsy man. You hold the dog contract, correct?" Kakashi nodded his head again at the brown haired woman. "I may approve of this, if you extend the Hatake contract to one of the Inuzuka…it was originally an Inuzuka contract, but was gifted to your father for his aid to our clan during the Second Great War" Kakashi nodded to this as well, and coughed slightly, trying to muster up the courage to speak.

"I had already intended on sharing the contract with Naruto if that-" Tsume's fist slammed onto the table suddenly cutting him off.

"I'm not talking about Naruto. There is a different contract he must sign. No, I'm talking about Kiba. Kiba will sign the dog contract, and in turn Hana will train your student. Is this acceptable?" Kakashi nodded quickly. Normally he was not one to be cowed, but this woman was wholly frightening in ways that Kakashi had not seen since he was much younger. "Good. Now then, would you like to stay for some pork chop? I have a fresh bone around here somewhere…" The woman got up from the small table they were at and began moving around the kitchen in which they were gathered.

Kakashi nodded his agreement, still not quite trusting his voice. 'I can see how Naruto picked up a bit of an obedient streak. Without the natural Inuzuka ferocity, anyone would flinch under a matriarch like Tsume…' As he looked around, he noticed the cozy setting of the home, and the way that it was simply arranged. There was a dining room table, not far from a kitchen area, and a small living area attached to that. The kitchen was very spartan, but the walls held photos of Kiba and Naruto playing together, as well as shots of Akamaru and Kurama dozing fitfully in the sun. The Inuzuka, while a strong clan within the village, were apparently very family oriented. 'Sensei, you made a wise choice in this I feel.' He turned suddenly as a plate was set in front of him.

"Now, I didn't get to ask about the test, but if it's not too personal, can you tell me about Naruto's performance?" Kakashi nodded, and thanked her for the meal. He casually pulled down his mask, allowing her to see his face. Tsume was an old war veteran, and had served with Kakashi under her leadership in the past. She was quite used to the actions of the man, and had seen his mask off several times before, so the mystery was very little to her.

"Naruto performed the most admirably out of the team. He personally chose to take the dive for his teammates, and would have faced returning to the academy for failing to get a bell. I have to say, I was very impressed with his and Kurama's tag team work. Though I have to ask…" Tsume stiffened slightly at Kakashi's tone and direction of conversation. "…when he teams up with that fox…some of the nine-tails slips through, doesn't it?" Tsume set her bite of meat down, looking down towards her plate before nodding solemnly. "Have you told him yet?" Here, the strong woman bit into her lip slightly while shaking her head side to side slowly.

"I haven't the heart to let him know yet. I decided I would inform him of it, if he does not learn of it himself, after his first Chuunin exam. When he becomes Chuunin, his heritage will also be revealed to him. For now, he truly believes he is Kiba's brother, and Hana was too young at the time to remember otherwise." Kakashi grimaced a bit at that. While he did not approve of the timeline, he knew better than to question a parent's decision. He nodded in acceptance, and the two turned to their meal, jumping onto more normal and mundane topics.

xXxXxXx

Naruto pulsed a bubble of chakra around himself as he walked through the compound gates. As he did, he noticed a number of the nin-dogs' perk up. 'Apparently they can sense that, huh?' He turned and gave a few sharp yips to Kurama, who gave him a lazy eye from his shoulder before stretching and sending out a couple of sharp yips to the surrounding dogs. Naruto smiled as he heard barks of acknowledgement and acceptance from the family guardians.

'I remember at first when they all tried to chase him after he was let out of my room…boy did he show them.' Naruto sniggered at the memory of a small fox pup, barely two to three years old, outsmarting and outmaneuvering a lot of the bigger family dogs. On top of that, Kurama was surprisingly strong for his size, and managed to take several of the larger dogs down without a fight. The only one who could really put him down was Kuromaru; the older nin-dog had shown an equal finesse and grace, and matching strength. Ultimately the greater amount of experience did Kurama in, and the fox was forced to submit.

Kurama gave a few sharp yips towards Naruto, drawing the blonde's attention. "You think there's someone else inside the house huh? What can you hear?" A couple short yips later, Naruto's grin widened. "Kakashi-sensei's inside talking to mom, huh? Wonder what's going on there." A familiar bark made the two turn their heads.

"Hey bro! How was your first day of training?" Naruto shrugged as Kiba approached, Akamaru resting happily on his head.

"The teme's annoying to work with, but he's really competent, so it's not too bad. And Sakura is easy on the eyes, though obsessed with that Uchiha." Kiba rolled his eyes, and nodded in agreement.

"About par for the course I guess. My team has that shy, weird girl Hinata who barely talks at all. Then there's Shino, who's just way too quiet for my tastes. Guy hardly says a single word, but when he does talk it's all long winded and complex." Naruto and Kurama both sniggered at the boy's misfortune.

"Hey, at least your sensei's not as crazy as mine is! He really had us going, thinking he was going to fail all three of us!" Kiba's eyes bugged out a bit at that.

"Your teacher did that too! What is it with these Jonin making sure we can work well under pressure huh? We're gonna get enough of that in the actual field I think!" Akamaru gave a bark of agreement. "Kurenai-sensei told us that if we couldn't locate her together that she would fail all three of us. Then she only gave us an hour to do so, and used chili-bombs on Akamaru and me, to weaken our sense of smell." Naruto shook his head while smiling at the description.

"At least your sensei wasn't as crazy as mine was! He didn't even tell us it was a teamwork exercise at first…he used two bells, and said that whoever didn't get one would be sent back to the academy and would go without dinner for the day." Kiba and Akamaru both blanched at that.

"You got them both though, didn't you?" Naruto nodded while putting his hand behind his head and grinning. Kurama chose that point to yawn and jump up onto Naruto's head for a nap.

"Oi! Furball! What's up? You never sit up there!" Kurama just swatted him in the nose and went straight to sleep. 'Ungrateful little bugger, that's what you are…' Naruto felt himself grumbling about the embarrassment as Kiba laughed at his discomfort. "What's worse is that we apparently have a training exercise for the next week. The guy also won't even tell us where we're going or what we're doing. I'm telling you, he just loves to keep us guessing!" Naruto opened the door, and threw an accusatory finger in the direction of Kakashi at the dinner table. "And there's the bastard now!" Kiba blinked once or twice before feeling his eyes fly wide open.

"You're training with Hatake Kakashi, THE HATAKE KAKASHI, and you are complaining about it why?" Kiba's loud outburst caused Kurama to angrily swat the boy on the nose with his tail, not even looking up from his nap.

"Well now, calm down a bit Kiba. As part of an agreement to help Naruto and his team, I'll be working some with you as well after next week. Don't worry, it won't take long for what I have to teach you, and I think you'll pick it up pretty quick." Kiba's grin turned feral as he looked at the man across the table.

"That's more like it! Pipsqueak here definitely will need your help if he plans to beat me to the Kage seat, but let's not make it too easy for him, shall we?" Kakashi perked up a bit at this and smiled. Kurama, sensing the growing anger of his partner, jumped off of Naruto's head, barking at Akamaru as he did so. The other dog dislodged itself from Kiba's head, and bounded after the fox.

"Who you calling short huh? I just haven't hit my growth spurt yet, dang it! Just you wait, I'm gonna end up way taller than you by the time we're adults!" Kiba growled at his younger brother, and before Kakashi knew it the two were wrestling on the floor.

Kakashi moved to interrupt the two, but was cut off by the appearance of a young woman, with long brown hair and big brown eyes. She had the marks of the Inuzuka clan on her cheeks, though seemed less feral than Tsume did, with full pouting lips and a sizeable bust. Kakashi tried to keep his eyes on appropriate territory though, as the woman seemed to walk in with an intimidating presence. Naruto and Kiba stopped roughhousing almost immediately, and turned to give her sheepish looks together.

"Hey Hana…how was work?" Naruto tried to keep the nervous out of his voice as she reached down and separated the two of them forcefully. By pulling sharply on their ears. "Ow! Do you have to do this sis, we have company!" Naruto's whine was matched by an almost similar one from Kiba.

"Don't give me that! If you want to act like you should behave for company, don't roughhouse in front of them. Now, go get changed for dinner." Both boys gave her pleading looks. "Nope. Not falling for it. I have three partners that can all give a better set of puppy-dog eyes than you two. Now git!" Kiba and Naruto slumped their shoulders as they trundled off to their rooms.

"Sorry about that. Those two know to behave better than that, but I think the days excitement got to them a little." Hana rolled her shoulders as she took up a seat next to Kakashi. "So, what are you over for, is there something up with Naruto or Kiba's team?" Kakashi shook his head in the negative and coughed once, trying to get his voice to work.

'God she's hot! Jiraiya would have a field day with this girl. Harsh, while seemingly with a softer side, and a family of feral warrior pride…focus Kakashi, she's your junior by several years…but those breasts!' It was at times like these that Kakashi was very glad for his face mask. "Well, it's a little of both. You see, Naruto had already agreed to see if you would help his teammate Sakura in learning medical jutsu, and I have a bit of an extended training trip planned for the his team. However, in order to get your mom to agree, I had to train Kiba in summoning the nin-dogs I hold the contract for." Hana's eyes widened at that, and she nodded for him to continue. When he was done explaining, she heard the boys' exit the shower room and call out that it was her turn.

"I'd be more than glad to help, with that sort of offer on the table. I'm going to go freshen up, back in a bit." As she whisked away, Kakashi felt a small head butt itself against his leg. Looking down he saw Kurama there, and Kakashi idly reached to scratch his head only for the fox to growl and nip at him.

"Hmph, see if I give you any treats…" Kakashi thought of Hana's retreating backside for a moment and pulled out his book to disguise the reason for his giggling. 'Heheh, though I'd definitely like to give her a treat or two…'

xXxXxXx

Naruto groggily rolled up and out of bed. The alarm he'd set was going off and Kurama, who was sleeping by his head, swatted it angrily, silencing the infernal device. It read six a.m., so Naruto got up, showered, dressed, ate and then left quickly for the training ground. Kurama jumped on his shoulders just as he was leaving to wind around his neck. 'I wonder just where we're going for our training exercise…will we get to leave the village maybe?' Still fighting off the morning sleep effects, Naruto put on a burst of speed to get to the meeting spot. When he arrived, he saw Sasuke already there, a small backpack on his back with several scrolls out in front of him that he was reading.

"Morning Sasuke. What'cha reading?" The raven haired boy looked up, and then breathed out a small jet of fire to the side. "Woah, you're already that far along in fire manipulation?" The envy in Naruto's voice was quite obvious.

"It's not too surprising. I've been using fire jutsus since I was eight or so, so I've had a couple of years to really get them down." Sasuke rolled up his scrolls and stood up to head closer to Naruto. "Though when I went over my notes, I did realize something interesting…you and your pet are going to be hopeless against me in a fight of ninjutsu…" Naruto stiffened at that, and Kurama looked up with anger in his eyes.

"What the hell do you mean by that, you bastard?" Sasuke just smirked and shook his head.

"Someone wasn't paying too much attention in the elemental jutsu class, were they?" Sasuke's smile only got wider as the blonde began to fume at the ears. "Settle down, Naruto. I'm just saying that fire beats wind. Your type is hopeless against mine in a straight up ninjutsu fight." Naruto frowned a bit at that, but then a smirk came to his face.

"Yeah, but wind beats lightning, and water beats fire! So if Sakura and I work together, we can totally best you!" Sasuke looked a bit taken aback by that, but smiled a bit in return.

"I guess some of the Inuzuka have a brain after all." As Naruto continued to get flustered it eventually drew a small chuckle from the Uchiha. This caused Naruto to pause for a moment. 'The bastard hasn't chuckled since Itachi…is he…is this how he treats friends now?'

Naruto had a good number of friends, but Sasuke had always been a friendly rival at best. Since the time when they were kids and their first Taijutsu match came to an even draw, the two boys had wanted to best each other in everything. Sasuke recognized a fellow competitor in Naruto, and it had led the two to become close. After the massacre though, Sasuke had become colder and harsher for a few years. He was just recently starting to tone down the frigidness of his insults, and Naruto had felt the first opening in his armor. Maybe he was going to get a good friend back over the next little while.

"OI! Earth to Naruto!" Sasuke's shout caught Naruto off guard, and made the boy yelp and rub his ear's sensitively. Kurama yipped in annoyance. "You were spacing out for a second there." Naruto waved him off, and the Uchiha smirked. "But yeah, some of the time I had assumed the teachers just liked you, so they didn't grade your homework as harshly. It's nice to see I was wrong for a change." Naruto still bristled slightly at the comment, but nodded his head and smiled anyways.

"Good morning you guys." Sakura came across the small bridge to the training ground, looking very tired, but still exceedingly fashionable. _'Cha! Would have been a good morning if we didn't have to get up so damn early!' _

Naruto peered at the girl closely, and then lightly sniffed the air. This drew odd looks from Sasuke and Sakura. When he was done, he had a slight frown on his face and was looking at Sakura.

"What? Do I smell bad to you, dog boy?" Naruto growled at this, and Kurama gave a low yip of annoyance.

"I have a fox for a partner, thank you very much. And it's not that you smell bad, it's that you smell like you had a full shower and put a set of makeup on when we had to meet here at seven in the morning. How damn early did you wake up?" Sakura blushed slightly at that, and kicked one of the stones on the ground.

"I had to get up around four or so to get everything done. It was a bit of a pain to wake up that early though, especially since my mom had just come in from a shift at the hospital." Sakura stiffened slightly at the end of the statement, trying not to think on the early morning encounter.

"You woke up at four in the fricking morning? That's so damn early! Sakura, you can't do that, you need your beauty sleep, you know?" Sasuke stiffened at Naruto's comment, catching the blonde's eye. "What's up Sasuke, did I say something wrong?" Sasuke just backed away a little bit, especially as a loud cracking sound was heard coming from his left. "Hey, what's up, why are you backing away so fast?" It was at this moment that Kurama slinked from Naruto's shoulders and went to stand by Sasuke.

"NARUTO! Never, ever tell a woman she needs more beauty sleep! SHANNARO!" Naruto turned just in time to see a heavily chakra enhanced punch come flying at him and clobber him in the gut. Caught completely off guard, he was thrown a dozen paces before impacting with a nearby tree.

"So it was something I said…" Naruto fought off the stars swimming in his vision as he looked over at a chuckling fox and Uchiha. "And you two traitorous bastards didn't even warn me…" Kurama had the decency to look slightly guilty, but Sasuke merely chuckled at the pair's antics.

"That's something you have to learn on your own, knucklehead. It's all well and good to joke with siblings like that, but not random girls." Sasuke chuckled and walked over to the group. "But, that sort of lesson only really works when a girl gives it to you." Unaware of what he had said, the raven haired boy turned to look at the bridge as he sensed Kakashi's approach.

_'Cha! I'd like to give it to Sasuke!' _Sakura wiped quickly at her nose, trying to keep a nose bleed from coming on. Needing a distraction, Sakura noted that her watch was giving ten to fifteen minutes past seven. "You're a bit late sensei, did something happen on the way here?" Kakashi looked mildly up from his orange book and shrugged a bit.

"Since you guys don't know me too well yet, I'll let you in on a little secret. This is rather early for me." That got blinks from all three, even Naruto who had just returned to the group.

"But you're fifteen minutes late already. How can fifteen minutes late be rather early for anything?" Kakashi just chuckled and shook his head, dismissing the blonde.

"Right then. We'll be heading to training ground 44. You all know your way there, right?" At this, all three of his genin shook their heads in the negative. "Hm. Well then, the morning exercise for the lot of you is…follow me." And just like that Kakashi turned and started sprinting through the village.

"What? Damn it, I swear this guy gets off on doing this!" Naruto and Kurama were already in motion and Sakura and Sasuke came up close behind.

"Naruto, can you get a trace on his scent?" Naruto nodded and then closed his eyes for a brief second, catching the scent.

"Got it. I don't think I'll lose him, but we should still try to keep pace." Naruto fired more chakra to his legs and smiled as the others raced to keep up.

xXxXxXx

A large forbidding gate was the first thing that came into sight as the three man cell of team seven came upon Training Ground 44. Naruto was the first on the scene, with Kurama bounding up soon after. Naruto quickly spotted Kakashi, standing by a marked entrance-way with the number one on it, reading an orange colored book and giggling madly. 'Damn it…I'm really out of breath, and he doesn't even look winded…just what the hell is this guy made of?' Taking a few moments to catch his breath, Naruto turned as his teammates approached. Sasuke seemed to be huffing slightly as well, but Sakura was by far the worst. She had her hands on her knees, and was bending over while looking slightly sickly.

"Damn it…did you have to run so fast Naruto…I could just barely keep you in sight the whole time…" Sakura pulled a water canteen from her pack and took a long swig of water from it.

"He did what he was supposed to though, which is not lose track of my scent." Kakashi walked over to the group, pocketing his book as he did. "If you were having trouble keeping up, it just means I need to work all three of you on your physical training as well." Naruto perked up as Kakashi was talking, sensing two inbound presences. He pulsed his chakra once, and Kakashi blinked in his direction as he did. The moment after a large smile broke out on the boy's face.

"Kakashi-sensei, why didn't you tell me that Hana was going to be coming to train with us? I would have helped her pack last night!" Kakashi blinked at the boy in astonishment.

'He can sense them accurately from five to six hundred feet away? I need to ask about that trick of his, it seems rather useful for a tracker.' Kakashi coughed and motioned the three charges closer to him. "Yes, well, I had intended it to be a surprise. Have to hand it to those Inuzuka senses though…guess I'll have to work harder when I want to get the drop on you…" Naruto smirked at that and clasped his hands behind his head in a grinning manner. "Our compatriots for this training exercise will meet us inside the forest proper. In the meantime, I'll be explaining a little bit about what we'll be doing during this week." Kakashi pulled a map out of his pocket, detailing several sections of the forest behind him.

"We are going to be training in the south eastern corner of the woods. That's this section here…" Kakashi pointed to a part of the map that was covered in sparse trees and a small stream. "Our goal is to train in chakra control, elemental manipulation, combat exercises and combat training." As Kakashi listed off the goals he ticked off four fingers. "Chakra control and combat exercises will be done together as a team. Elemental manipulation will be done separately, as will combat training. My goal is to have all of you master at least the basics of elemental manipulation for one element while here, as well as pick up the basics of your weapons."

"Oh man! What weapons are we gonna be working on? Something really awesome like a halberd I bet?" Naruto's energy seemed to have recovered already, and Kakashi rolled his eyes while smiling lightly behind his mask.

"Naruto, let him finish explaining!" Sakura gave the boy a glare out of the corner of her eye. "How do you still have energy left to be hyperactive after that run anyways?" Kakashi coughed once to get their attention.

"The weapons I have in mind for you will be suited towards your purpose on the team. Sakura, as the genjutsu specialist, you will be training in whips and chains." This got a lewd whistle from Naruto, and quick blush and punch to the blonde from Sakura. Kakashi and Sasuke carried on as if nothing had happened. "Naruto as the tracker will get a ranged weapon to injure targets that are escaping from a distance, such as a bow. Sasuke finally will be the close up assassination and combat expert, and so will be training with a tanto for quick kills in close. If you pay attention, each of these will also be enhanced through your specifc elemental affinities as well." Sasuke seemed to be grinning at the explanation of the team roles, and Naruto and Sakura were listening with rapt attention, former spat forgotten.

"I'll explain more about utilizing elements with weapons during our training. For now, let me explain the training session schedules. Each session will be for approximately three hours, with the remaining time being given to your team for survival purposes." The last bit got a look of confusion from all three. Holding up a hand, Kakashi stifled their burgeoning questions. "Before we get started, I would like all three of you to hand over your packs…" Wordlessly, but with looks of continued consternation, the three handed over their belongings.

A second later, Hana and Anko arrived. "Wow, Kakashi I've never have seen you arrive on time before. This group of blockheads must be something special for you to put in the extra miles…" Anko, unknown to any of the genin quickly had their drawn ire. Her trench coat was open, and her posture and look was giving a free show to the crowded genin

'This whore is so going down…' Sasuke felt his hand snake towards his kunai holster even as he narrowed his eyes and tensed his muscles ever so slightly.

_'Cha! Who's this bitch think she is calling us blockheads!' _Sakura kept her thoughts and expressions neutral, but a slight frown marred her calm image.

"Who the hell are you calling a blockhead, you snake-smelling wacko!" Naruto yelled out loudly for all three of them, even as Kurama yipped in aggression. A split second later, a kunai whizzed by Naruto's cheek, drawing the blonde up short and raising the hackles on Kurama's fur.

"Hmmm…you even have a feisty one on the team…their blood is always the tastiest…" Naruto felt a tongue lick across his cheek as he stood frozen in shock, the woman moving too fast for him to follow. "Delicious…my names Anko Mitarashi, blockhead, what's yours?" Naruto shivered slightly and tried to stutter his name out several times.

"That's Naruto Inuzuka, my little brother, ok Anko? Leave him alone, he didn't mean anything with the comment." Anko frowned down at Naruto before straightening up and shrugging her shoulders.

"Huh…if Hana's willing to vouch for you I guess I'll leave off…man though, your blood was tempting. I hope I get to work with you in combat training." Naruto tried to smile weakly and Kurama seemed as equally cowed, both of them backing up towards the safety of their teammates. "So…these are the packs, huh Kakashi?" Kakashi nodded at Anko and she picked one up and tossed it to Hana. "We'll meet you in the tower after we've set up the food drops, alright?" Kakashi nodded once more and the two older women turned to leave.

"Try not to get eaten Naruto! The giant spiders are really aggressive, so stay out of the north eastern sector, ok?" Hana called back at her little brother as she leapt into the woods.

"Hey! Where are they going with our packs! What gives Kakashi-sensei!" Kakashi turned a disinterested eye towards his outspoken charge.

"Oh…that's the survival part of the exercise. There will be survival goods scattered throughout the forest in various drop spots, which you'll have to find and retrieve over the course of the week. You know, your tent, your food…stuff like that. And you only get four hours a day to search as well, so good luck with that. That is, if you want a full night of sleep..." The man's smile and tone caused three shocked looks of disbelief on his students. 'God, this is too good to pass up.' Kakashi whipped out a camera, and took a quick shot of the looks of outrage and disgust. "Oh yeah, that's a team picture right there…" Seeing that Naruto was about to explode again, Kakashi reached into his robes and pulled out a small black sphere and tossed it to the boy.

"Before you get upset, the point of hunter-nin teams is to travel light and move as a unit…you'll never be able to do that if I don't train you how to now." Naruto glowered slightly, while his teammates seemed to be mollified. Kurama for his part was letting out a low growl over the situation. "Now then, that is a chakra index sphere. It will let me know how much of an affinity an individual has towards certain elements, as well as the amount of chakra potential and chakra capacity available." Seeing only Sakura following along, Kakashi sighed heavily. "Sakura, if you would please?" The girl nodded, brightening a bit at being acknowledged.

"Chakra potential is the amount that a person can be expected to develop in their stores over the course of their careers. Chakra capacity is how much chakra a person has currently in their stores. The amount of affinity one has towards a given nature determines how much a person can change their chakra from a denatured state to a natured state." Both boys seemed to blink at the explanation, but nodded their heads in understanding.

"Alright, that being said, why don't you go first Naruto? Sasuke can then go afterwards." Naruto nodded and focused some of his chakra into the sphere. A second later, several marks appeared on the small orb. There were eight green marks, one bright and seven dark. There was one white mark, with fifteen black marks above that. And finally, there were six grey marks, with twelve black marks above that section. Kakashi let out a low whistle and felt his eyebrow rise at the results. "Not bad…not bad at all…"

"What's it mean? What's it mean?" Naruto was looking at the sphere intently, trying to make heads or tails of the device.

"The green marks are your elemental chakra. Right now, you can only convert one sixth of your total chakra into wind natured chakra." As Kakashi pointed to the sphere, Naruto looked over the markings more closely. "The natured chakras are all colored in that way. Blue for water, red for fire, green for wind, yellow for lightning and brown for earth. The white section is for yin natured chakra, and the black is for yang natured chakra." Seeing looks of confusion on all three faces, Kakashi grimaced slightly.

"Yin chakra is for illusion based techniques, in which you only have one mark of affinity. Yang chakra is for physical manipulation, or giving jutsu's their form and shapes, or giving life or physicality to things" the looks of confusion only got worse. "Don't worry too much about it Naruto, just know that with your yin affinity so low, you're probably never going to be a genjutsu specialist." Naruto nodded once and Kakashi sighed before continuing.

"The last section there is your chakra capacity and potential. The grey marks are your current capacity, which is also what drew my eye. Each mark is considered the amount needed for two A-ranked chakra intensive techniques. Your capacity could currently support twelve." Both Naruto and Sasuke looked surprised at this; Naruto was grinning and Sasuke was slightly frowning. "For reference, I only have about four marks worth of capacity and potential, so you already have me beat in that area." Naruto's grin only grew wider.

"Hah! I told Kiba I'd beat him to the Kage seat! With a chakra potential like that, there's no way I'm gonna lose!" Kakashi shook his head before swatting the boy on the head lightly.

"Don't let it go to your head too fast. Just because you have a lot of chakra doesn't mean you're the strongest out there. With your yin affinity so low, any deserving genjutsu specialist could take you right out." Naruto scratched the back of his head and smiled weakly in admonishment. "Besides, you also have to work hard to control that amount of chakra, so your chakra control sessions are going to be painful at best for you." Naruto nodded and passed the orb to Sasuke. Sasuke took it, a scowl on his face.

"Alright now, go ahead Sasuke." Sasuke pressed his hands on the orb and channeled some of his chakra through it. While he was doing so, Kakashi was thinking quickly to himself. 'With access to that much yang chakra, we can definitely find some way to speed up Naruto's training…I'll have to see if the third will let me pass on a kinjutsu or two to this group…' As Kakashi was thinking, Sasuke's orb started to light up. Unlike Naruto, there were five bars of glowing color, one for each element displayed on Sasuke's orb. In addition, there was one extra yellow bar and two extra red bars. His yin and yang chakra each came in at two marks, and there were two grey marks and twelve black marks for his capacity and potential respectively. "An exceptionally balanced showing, with almost as much room for improvement as Naruto…as should be expected." Sasuke smirked lightly, handing off the orb to Sakura. The girl seemed to shrink slightly while holding the ball, and turned pleading eyes toward Kakashi.

"Um…sensei, do you really need to know this information? I just…I don't want to look bad in front of these two…" Sasuke blinked indifferently at that, but Naruto gave her a surprised look.

"Don't worry too much about it Sakura. A team is picked to balance each other out. Naruto has high reserves, and will develop a build to take advantage of that. Sasuke will have a balanced build, and will act as the lynchpin against general combatants. Your job is to be the support, meaning direct confrontation and high chakra usage will not be as necessary. What that orb tells you is not final too; if a person fails to develop themselves properly, their potential over time will lessen. Conversely, if you work hard enough, you can get past any limit." Sakura brightened a bit at this, but the ending of his little speech seemed to have soured Sasuke's mood slightly. The girl nodded and focused her will into the sphere.

"Hmm…not entirely surprising, but you'll also need some work, though opposite to Naruto…" Sakura's sphere had one blue and brown click, with four darkened ones above each. Her chakra capacity was only half a click, but her potential was five clicks. Her yin chakra had five clicks, while her yang only held one. "Alright then. The training will proceed in the following pattern: In the morning, you will have chakra control exercises as a team, followed by elemental training individually. Each will proceed for three hours. Then there will be a two hour break for you to search the forest to find food and necessary supplies, as well as eat lunch. After that, three hours of individual weapons training. Finally, in the evening, we will have some combat exercises. Your time is yours after that." Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura only shared one thought at that moment.

'How much time is ours after that exactly…?'

xXxXxXx

Bit of a builder chapter. Delay is due to the lack of internet at my dorm currently. A new semester is starting so all of the old laptops got booted off the network. Frustrating. But, what is not frustrating is the awesome response this story has gotten already! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and I would like to answer a few questions, and give some explanations while I can.

First off: Pairings. I have no plans to make pairings in this fic, though if the need or moment arises that can be easily worked, I will introduce.

Secondly: Kurama the fox is just an ordinary fox. However, the fact that he is a fox is important to Naruto and his control over the nine-tailed fox.

Thirdly, Naruto's past: He has no idea that he is adopted currently, neither do Hana or Kiba. Only ones who know are Tsume, and the other Inuzuka, which I'm not even sure I'll have appear. As for the fox, the only ones who know are Tsume, the Sandaime, and Kakashi. Minato wanted it kept completely underwraps, with the notion being around the whole village that the fox was killed. In keeping with that, there will be some happenings on Naruto's birthday coming up that would not have appeared in cannon.

Finally! As to Sakura…I do not desire to have a lame girl on the team, though she will have to work to overcome her original frame of mind. Given that, I needed to do something with her past to allow her to keep pace with her teammates. One is a jinchuuriki and the other is an Uchiha…keeping pace with that almost demands I give her some cool back up abilities. I'm going to work to keep them around par, but it should still take some time for her to overcome lame-girl-itis. Keep in mind that Naruto is also not an idiot in this version, as he has had both Tsume to check him into obedience, and teachers that actually cared enough to teach him while growing up. As such, he is quite a bit more impressive than he was in cannon, and much less of a goof-off like in the start of the series. He is however still going to earn the title of Number One Unpredictable Hyperactive Knuckleheaded Ninja. Sasuke is a bit more emotional than at the series start because he has had a decent competitor, and managed to form a friendly rivalry with Naruto, who was constantly pushing him, but _just_ barely behind him, helping him to gain a small semblance of confidence and camaraderie.

Well, that's about all for now. I hope you all enjoyed this installment, and I'll work to bring the next one around quickly. As always, read and review!


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Response was similar to last time, with the exception of one or two rude/eye opening comments (a little of both, and while the latter is appreciated, the former part of the two is not). There seem to be issues with Naruto and Sasuke, so I'll split this into two parts for the boys.

To clarify some things about Naruto's past, as apparently it is causing some questions: Tsume is the only Inuzuka that knows what Naruto's past actually is, all others merely know that he is adopted. Kakashi knows of the nine-tailed fox, as it is important for a genin instructor to know such details. As for why he knows Naruto's heritage now, that will be explained in this chapter in story line. Jiraiya's role will also be explained within the storyline.

The other main issue I've heard is that I'm changing things too quickly, to which I have to say that I disagree. The point of an AU story is that it is AU! There should be noticeable differences early on. That is what is happening now, the laying out of early differences. If someone desires to abandon a story, merely because they don't like how a story begins, that is their loss in my opinion. In all honesty, I personally HATED how Naruto started out in canon, but by the end, he has become my favorite character. So, to those who feel things are changing too quickly, I encourage you to keep reading, especially since we are only on DAY TWO of the story line. I am not as good a writer as Kishimoto, but I hope that I can at least change the minds of some who decide to stick around for more than two days in story timeline. Keep in mind that Sakura's interaction with Naruto, while still violent, will not be as dramatic, as he has never developed into an annoying pest for her. He's a competent comrade, who has never shown a large interest in her, so she treats him more fairly than he would have been in canon.

Secondly, Sasuke and his seemingly friendly mindset…review the original cannon for this. At first, Sasuke was annoyed, HIGHLY by the prospect of working with a fan girl and an idiot. However, thanks to Naruto being competent this time, and thanks to momentary distractions that have kept Sakura's inner fan-girl at bay so far, he has a team that is recognizably cohesive, with existing advantages.

In the main story line, he did not start out as AN AVENGER, but merely as someone with a serious hard-on to get revenge. The whole avenger bit came after the curse seal and Orochimaru mind-raping the poor guy...before that, he was happy competing with Naruto, as it gave him an easy bench mark.

After Naruto started gunning past him, he was a lot more miffed, and it drove him even further into the grasp of Orochimaru. That's why I have Sasuke being friendly right now; things are good in his life, and it seems to have finally started dealing him a fair hand. Once the shit starts hitting the fan, don't be too surprised by him switching his personality up, as he is still a fairly fragile psyche. You don't have trauma like his and walk away from it, you know?

Alright, now that post story rant and response is done with, it's time for the main show.

To get things off on the proper foot…I own nothing but the original stuff…

xXxXxXx

Seeing the confused faces of his students, Kakashi pulled out his orange book and began reading. He did this to hide his eventual development of giggles. 'If I hadn't already snapped that team photo, this one would almost be better.' Straightening himself slightly, Kakashi dusted off his pants absentmindedly before turning to the group. "Today's the first day of training guys, so let's get in there, shall we? It's already almost eight and I really would like to start before then." The three genin nodded dimly and leapt after their sensei, following him into a wooded area of the forest. "We'll meet up with Anko and Hana after the morning chakra exercises…so for now, we get to learn about the two things that make a leaf shinobi one of the best in the elemental nations." Kakashi turned his eyes towards his students, fishing for a response. Naruto was quick to bite.

"You mean our teamwork and drive to succeed?" Kakashi's smile only grew as he nodded to the boy. Kakashi pointed to a base of a tree, where there were coils of ropes with heavy weights in the center.

"Now, for your first day of chakra exercises, you are going to begin by learning how to climb trees with your palms…" At this, Kakashi paused as he looked over at his group of genin expectantly.

"Um…sensei, do you mean with our hands? But isn't that easy?" Sakura was the one to reply this time, and Kakashi only smiled further.

"Well, if I meant that you could use your hands, I would have said that. Here, I'll give you a visual example of what I mean…" At this, Kakashi walked up to the nearest tree, placed his hands flat on the trunk so that it was not holding anything, and then pulled his body up before placing one hand higher than the other. He then supported himself momentarily, and repeated the motion, bringing his hands even.

"And, once you can all reach the top of the tree this way, I'll teach you how to get down more easily…"Kakashi pulled his knees to his chest, and planted his feet on the tree. "By walking down the tree." As the masked ninja turned himself around, he smiled at the surprised faces on all of his students. 'Minato was right…the looks are worth the job in and of itself.'

"Holy crap! That was awesome! Tell us what to do first, that was totally badass!" Naruto's outburst for once did not draw Kurama's ire, who seemed to be admiring the accomplishment just as much.

"Naruto! Stop swearing! It's not right to be so improper, even if we are with our team!" Sakura yelled at the blonde, adding a slight flick to his forehead for additional admonishment. The blonde grabbed at his forehead and growled at the girl.

"Shut up you two, we have to hear how to perform the exercise." Sasuke shook his head at his two teammates antics. 'While they seem competent, they need to focus better…'

"Thank you Sasuke. For this exercise, the purpose is to get comfortable with gathering chakra in your hands and dispelling it continuously. This should not be terribly difficult for you, as the hands are the place where seals are formed, so the process should not be terribly foreign. However, dispelling a constant amount, at the right rate, will still provide some useful challenge." Kakashi then turned his eye towards Sakura. "The second major component of this exercise is building up muscles and endurance. This training week is going to be hard on each of you physically, but it will benefit you in the long run to start now." Kakashi then held up the two pieces of rope that had the weights attached. Written on them were the words 'Teamwork' and 'Dedication'.

"Those…those things are going to be rather heavy aren't they?" Naruto's question was stuttered out, hesitation apparent in his voice. At Kakashi's smiling nod, the blonde sighed long and hard before glaring at the man. "While I'll appreciate this later, right now…I hate you Kakashi-sensei." Kakashi shrugged and tossed the weights forward catching the boy off-guard as they hit him in the stomach and he fell to the ground.

"Those will be stretched between the trees that the three of you will be climbing on. The weights, if you notice, have a pulley system attached, so that someone higher up can divert some of the weight to themselves while a person who has fallen reclaims their position. The only rule is that you can only use your hands while advancing up the tree. When you are not advancing, you can brace yourself with your legs, but once anyone begins to advance again, you must return to relying only on your hands." Kakashi then turned and threw a kunai harshly behind him, imbedding itself roughly half way up the tree.

'Not a bad distance. I'd say about fifteen to twenty feet.' Turning back, Kakashi smiled at his students. "That mark is your goal for the next three days. By the end of that time, I want to start tree walking individually, but I doubt any of you will complete that by the time the week is out." Kakashi frowned slightly at the lack of reaction out of his team; not a single one of them seemed excited for the exercise.

"Alright, so why isn't anyone jumping around about how useful this training is now?" Kakashi's raised eyebrow looked over the group.

"Well, because besides improving our chakra control and physical strength, what's the real advantage to learning this way with our hands? Couldn't we do the same thing and start with our feet anyways?" Kakashi grimaced slightly at having Naruto call him out.

"There are two distinct advantages to learning with your hands first. One of them is that it will allow you to learn how to make a strong hold on a target, especially important if an individual is trying to escape from your grasp when being hunted down." Sakura perked up at this, her eyes lighting up a bit.

"You mean by pretending the person's body was a tree? That way you can grasp onto them and it will be harder for them to get away?" Kakashi nodded to that, smiling at the girls blush for getting something correct.

"The second thing that is useful is that learning how to expel a constant amount of chakra from any point on the body is advantageous to chakra control. Hands are the easiest location to get this concept down, and so we begin our training by focusing there. Feet on the other hand are the most difficult location to learn. By tackling the hands first, we can easily progress to mastering the feet afterwards." Kakashi gave a slightly pointed look to Naruto and Sasuke.

"By starting with things that we can master easily, we can make sure that the more difficult concepts are understood and applied more readily. I would never ask the three of you to master tree climbing in a week unless I was sure that you absolutely needed the power boost it could give for some dire reason." Sasuke grimaced at the fact that they were apparently taking the slow route, but nodded none-the-less in understanding.

"Now then…why don't you three begin. Sakura, you should take the middle position, and have Sasuke and Naruto take up one of the trees on either your left or right. Seeing as how the process of sticking to the tree will come easier to you, why don't you take over for leading this exercise." The girl blinked at being left in charged, but nodded in acceptance.

"I have to go take care of a couple things for your afternoon training, so I'll be back in a bit. However, Anko and Hana both wanted you to know that they'll be making rounds to check in your progress. Any sign of slacking off, and I'll call the whole training trip." Kakashi smiled as he saw Sasuke stiffen slightly at that. 'Good, that'll make sure they are all nice and driven.' As he was walking off, he heard the sounds of the three rushing towards the trees to get into position. Not five seconds afterwards, he turned at the sound of a sudden loud noise, where he saw Naruto bowled over on the ground, apparently having exploded off the tree from channeling too much chakra to his hands.

'Yeah, they're going to be an interesting group.' Kakashi chuckled and pulled out his book, deciding one last dig was too good to miss. "Oh, and Naruto, do try and not to make too much noise. Wouldn't want to attract any of the bloodthirsty predators around here, you know?" Kakashi chuckled at the paling expression on his student's faces before disappearing into a swirl of leaves.

xXxXxXx

Kakashi waited patiently outside the Hokage's office. He had a morning report to give about his team, and more than a few questions for the man. 'Still can't believe sensei even wanted his son's identity kept from me…guess there really was a reason to keep it under wraps though…' Kakashi looked out over the village.

The villagers were unaware of the jinchuuriki living in their midst, and compared to the treatment that the villagers gave to a nine-tails puppet during the seasonal festivals, Naruto had gotten off with much less grief than originally. 'Makes me glad I made that trade with Asuma…without that, I would have missed the opportunity to work with sensei's son…' The hokage's office door opened at that time, and Kakashi was ushered in as a fellow jonin left the room. From the down cast look on the man's face, that team had apparently not passed their genin exam.

"Ah, Kakashi! I take it that the training exercise was a success, as I processed a training mission request earlier…" Kakashi nodded to the Hokage, settling himself into the chair across from the venerable old man.

"Yes, they did very well, and learned the concept of teamwork almost too easily…however, Sasuke and Sakura both seemed willing to sacrifice Naruto's well-being rather quickly…still, they are at least getting along from what I observed so far." Sarutobi nodded at this description, asking Kakashi to continue.

"However, Sasuke seems definitely pleased at the willing training already…I'm hoping to temper that, and help them develop individual styles over the course of this week, but I fear he may still be set on achieving his revenge." Sarutobi sighed at this and pulled his pipe out of his mouth.

"Does the boy show concern for the well-being of either of his teammates?" Kakashi shook his head in the negative, drawing a second sigh. "We have to be careful with molding that team of yours into a hunter-nin squad. I've the council breathing down my neck about protecting the Sharingan as a village kekkei genkai, so I cannot let the boy become a flight issue." Kakashi nodded, taking a moment to look solemn for once.

"I think…this team is going to be a challenge for me. I'll have two high priority targets to watch out for on missions, both in the last Namikaze and the last Uchiha. That's not even to mention what I believe is a village secret in Sakura herself…" The third nodded in regard to that, linking his fingers together in thought.

"I have reviewed some of Danzo's files and come across a few disturbing things…it seems that she is a legacy of Orochimaru's research, though not in the ways that would be expected. Her biological mother died in childbirth, and she was adopted by her current family. However, because Orochimaru was involved and the experiments were of an unknown nature, Danzo had her placed with a family of ninja in case of any complications." The third turned and coughed heavily for a moment, waving off help from Kakashi.

"It should be considered lucky then that the Mokuton has returned, and apparently with someone that can be considered loyal to Konoha." The third nodded in agreement, but frowned as he looked fixedly at Kakashi.

"Your report also mentions possible feelings between Sasuke and Sakura. Though I know this will probably go outside of your normal mission parameters, you must at all costs keep a romance from developing between them. If the legacy of the Senju was passed on with the Mokuton, and that were to combine with an Uchiha, that could be catastrophic for the shinobi populace." Kakashi frowned for a moment at the third, lost as to what he was referencing. Seeing his lack of understanding, the third sighed and rubbed at his temple absentmindedly.

"The legacy of the Senju is something that should not have been passed down from a mere bloodline…it is a special type of chakra, separate from the mokuton bloodline, that when combined with the power of the Uchiha's Sharingan, allows a person to recreate a small portion of reality around themselves at the cost of the loss of a Sharingan eye. Though its range is limited, the scope of its power is truly limitless." The third coughed again, and this time, felt himself sink back into his chair afterwards. "That sort of power…that sort of power cannot be allowed to manifest once more. It is a power that no mortal should be allowed to wield." Kakashi nodded dimly, trying not to focus on his developing headache.

"I have some questions then…Jiraiya was named as Naruto's god father, and yet he has not been informed of either his existence or his Jinchuuriki status. When will he be informed, and will he be taking Naruto from my tutelage when he is?" The third paused before answering, taking the moment to refill and relight his smoking pipe.

"I have had to keep to Minato's final words, as it was something that he signed off on as a lost order as being Hokage. He wanted no one informed, save myself, the boy's adopted family, and his eventual jonin sensei. He said that Jiraiya should be informed in person when he chooses to take an interest in the raising of the child, as he knew that Jiraiya would be busy with his spy network and other duties to the village." The third took a long draw on his pipe, and it was at that time that Kakashi realized how elderly the man looked, couched within his baggy robes.

"Once Jiraiya takes an interest though, he was instructed to teach Naruto sealing, the toad summons and related techniques, and pass on Minato's original jutsu and jutsu goals." The third set the pipe down for a second, and gave Kakashi a sympathetic look. "I know it will be hard to give up one of your students, but I think that the training from Jiraiya will be very beneficial to the boy." Kakashi nodded sadly, trying not to focus on the fact that he would inevitably lose a chance to solely train his sensei's son.

"Now then, what about this training you are having them do? Is there anything in particular that you want to talk about for training purposes or jutsu to pass along?" Kakashi nodded, and the third took a long draw on his pipe while nodding.

xXxXxXx

"Alright brats! That's enough for now! The three of you managed to make it past Kakashi's mark, and your three hours are almost up. Take a break and rest for a bit before we start you on your elemental training." Anko's cry drew mixed reactions from the group of genin. Sasuke seemed to be frowning, wanting to continue. Naruto had a hapless grin on his face, just excited to be out and about. Sakura though looked relieved at the chance for a break.

'Seriously, these two are like automatons, they just don't stop going!' Sakura sighed as she slowly, painfully made her way down the tree, keeping her pace even with the two boys. 'My arms hurt so much I don't think I'll even be able to smack that damn grin off of Naruto's face…'

"Man, I can't wait! We're probably going to do something even more awesome for elemental training!" Naruto was all grins as the three made their way to the ground. "I can't wait to show this off to Kiba, he's going to be so jealous." Sasuke scoffed and shot the boy a condescending look.

"Is all you care about showing off? Being a ninja is a serious thing, blockhead." Naruto shot the boy a dirty frown.

"Who are you calling a blockhead, lightweight? I seem to remember pulling more of the weight than you did on this little team exercise?" Sasuke scoffed again and the condescending look only increased.

"That's because you were an idiot and couldn't even get the training down at first. You even had to have Sakura remind you about the trick to keeping your chakra steady…" Naruto growled at the boy and Kurama swatted him on the nose with his tail. The blonde blinked before looking away harshly from the raven-haired boy.

"Damn, four years of being in the academy, and I never realized how much of an ass you can be…" Sakura at this point had had enough, and the three had just reached the ground in time for the girl to go over and smack the boy upside the head.

"Don't insult Sasuke-kun, you idiot!" Naruto turned to the girl with an outraged look on his face.

"Don't call me an idiot, billboard brow!" Sakura felt her chakra flare in response to the infamous insult.

"Better a billboard brow than a vacuum head!" The girl felt her nails bite into her palm as she tried to rein in her flaring anger. _'Cha! If that sister of his wasn't right over there I'd make sure that head of his was put to good use as a punching bag!' _

"Both of you shut up. You're annoying…" Sasuke voice was even and calm, but the tone had ice in it. Naruto amazingly quieted down, but kept giving the boy an angry glare.

"Sorry Sasuke-kun, I guess the training was a bit hard on me so I'm a little wound up right now…" Sakura blushed demurely at the boy, trying to hide her embarrassment by acting cute. 'Stupid Naruto making Sasuke-kun think I'm annoying…'

'Did she really get tired from that training? I'll admit it was harsh, but a kunoichi should be capable of things like that…' Sasuke frowned at the girl, before giving a dismissive grunt of acknowledgement.

"Well, now that the little soap opera is over with, how about you brats get over here. We have instructions from Kakashi for each of you on what you are to be doing for elemental training." The three nodded and proceeded over to the two women. Hana seemed to be focusing particularly on Sakura, obviously displeased about training the girl. "Girl, you're going to be working with Hana…you two boys get to come with me…" Sakura frowned at the derisive moniker, and at being separated from the two guys.

"Come on Sakura. I need to get you started on water manipulation, as mastery over water is helpful in medical ninjutsu." The girl nodded, and followed after the Inuzuka woman. Once the two were out of sight of the rest of the group, Hana turned and smacked the girl upside the head. Hard.

"What the hell was that for?" Sakura grit out between breaths. Her hand went to her head immediately and she tried to fight off the stars that were dancing in front of her face.

"That was for hitting my little brother and thinking you can get away with it. One more outburst like that, and I'll refuse to train you." Hana's face was set into a grim tone as she looked down at Sakura disapprovingly. "I've half a mind to not do so right now, and the other half is fast starting to agree." Sakura's face quickly took on an apologetic look, but Hana held up a hand to the girl. "Save it. I'm not the one you need to apologize to. As long as I've heard that you've done so before the end of the week, I'm not going to hold it against you." Sakura nodded in understanding, and the Inuzuka gave the girl a slight smile.

"I'll make you a deal though…once you and Naruto become good teammates, if you notice something that I would disapprove of as a sister, you can threaten to tell me about it…that will surely give the same message as hitting him, and allow you to continue training with me." Sakura smiled at that, and nodded eagerly.

"So, what are we going to be learning about water manipulation?" Hana smiled and pulled out a small bowl filled with rice. Sakura looked at the bowl oddly. She was sure that lunch was still several hours away, and felt herself growing hungry as she looked at the uncooked grains.

"Your goal is to make the rice wet…Using only your chakra." Sakura blinked a few times, then watched as Hana made the rice suddenly become damp. "Don't look so surprised. The second Hokage was infamous for his water jutsu. Though we are in the land of fire, there are a number of people that are known for having water techniques run in the family." The water quickly disappeared before Hana handed the bowl off to Sakura. "When calling upon water chakra, focus on the idea of making your chakra flow forwards and backwards, like waves on a shore. It will get easier with time as you practice this, but don't expect to get it down very quickly." The girl nodded in response, and Hana sat down on the ground across from the young genin.

"I've also heard you were fairly bright, so I'm going to be splitting your attention somewhat. While you're focusing on getting the elemental manipulation down, I'm going to be throwing some basic medical facts and jargon at you. After a bit, I'll leave you to this on your own, and just make sure we aren't interrupted by any of the forest friendlies." Sakura nodded, and bent her focus towards the rice grains in the bowl.

xXxXxXx

"Alright you two! I'm going to be training the two of you together for elemental manipulation for one simple reason! Wind and fire, when used together, are explosively powerful." This got the two boys to give Anko an appraising look. "But…if you don't have the necessary teamwork to work together, you end up just having the techniques explode in your face. As such, Kakashi and I have decided to do a little bit of a different training than usual for the two of you…" Naruto and Sasuke both blinked in surprise at each other before turning back to the woman with at least agreeable smiles.

"So, what's this awesome training you have whipped up for us? It must be something extra cool if we are going to be working together to get our elemental training down…" Anko couldn't help the smile that crept across her face.

"That's right gaki…your ultra-super-badass training is…" She paused for a few seconds and smiled inwardly as she finally noticed the stoic Uchiha take the bait, "Don't burn the leaf!" At this, she handed a slightly singed leaf to Sasuke, who noticed small embers in the center slowly creeping outwards.

"WHAT? That has to be the most lame-ass training I've ever heard of!" Naruto exclaimed, Kurama yipping in agreement from the boy's shoulders.

"Shut up and let me explain, idiot. Naruto, you need to focus on making your chakra razor sharp directly over the leaf…imagine two edges of chakra grinding together into a fine point. Sasuke, you need to not only draw up your fire chakra as you have in the past, but use it to suppress the enhancement of the flames that Naruto's wind chakra will give to the embers on the leaf." Sasuke frowned at hearing his role in the training.

"Why do I have to make sure that Naruto doesn't screw the training up? Shouldn't he be using the wind chakra to put the flames out?" Anko smiled at the boy, but not in a way that was at all comforting to the last Uchiha.

"Look, in order for Kakashi's plans for you two to work, you need to be able to manage and direct the heat that Naruto's wind chakra will enhance. If you can't do that, when the two of you team up, there will be nothing but an explosion in your face and charred corpses."

"What's the point of me teaming up with an idiot like him anyways…based on the tree training today, he'd only get in my way and slow me down!" Sasuke looked seriously irked by this turn in events, and the cuts and scrapes on his arms only added to his distress.

"Oh shut up you cry baby! So I fell a couple of times, it's not like you didn't fall any either!" Sasuke gave the boy a vicious glare, and the two looked to be on the verge of fighting before kunai sliced both of their cheeks.

"Now listen here brats…I'm out here helping Kakashi because he asked me real nicely…I'm not going to deal with punk brats like you mouthing off and trying to get out of training. Now shut up, sit down, and don't burn the leaf. If you can manage that for as long as I want you to over the next couple of days, I'll even pass on a couple of jutsu for you to practice on your free time and get down together, alright?" That got the smirks the woman wanted out of the two boys. 'Of course, Kakashi already was going to have me teach them to you anyways…but you don't need to know that for now…'

xXxXxXx

Sounds drifted to Kakashi as he flitted through the forest, racing back to his new squad. 'They should be done with their basics for now…so I guess I should stop back and find out how they've been doing from their instructors…still, I'm irked that the hokage would not let me pass on the shadow clone to Naruto yet. The boys got the chakra reserve to handle it, but without his permission I really should not pass down any of the forbidden techniques.' As Kakashi was nearing the clearing that he left the group in, he saw a large gout of flame suddenly leap up from the forest floor.

"God damn it Sasuke! I swear you're trying to burn my eyebrows off at this rate! Kurama almost got singed with that one too, you bastard!" As Kakashi landed in the clearing he found a laughing Anko, a singed and pissed off looking Naruto, and a sneering Sasuke.

"If you can't handle your wind chakra, maybe you should go and work on it on your own more. I've been doing this for a couple of years now…if there's any reason it keeps exploding in flames, it's because you're trying to force the wind chakra too much, idiot." Naruto growled at the boy's verbal abuse, staring him down derisively.

"Now now Sasuke, you'll get plenty of one on one training with me later. I need you and Naruto to get this training down though in order for some of the combined jutsu's I have in mind for you two to work out." Kakashi eye smiled at the pair, drawing dirty looks from both of the young males. 'I guess the teamwork training hasn't been going so well today…oh well, it should improve over time I hope.'

"Kakashi-sensei, why does an awesome team like Kurama and I need to work with a loser like Sasuke! I mean, how hard would it be for one of us to pick up fire chakra too?" Kakashi shook his head at the boy, smiling a little still.

"While it is possible for one to learn multiple natures, that usually isn't possible until after one has mastered at least one element. On top of that, it is usually exceedingly difficult to master a nature which opposes an individual's original affinity." Kakashi turned to look at Sasuke with a smile on his face.

"Because Sasuke has a lightning element, learning wind manipulation will be very difficult for him." His look shifted back to Naruto, the smile still on his face. "At the same time, as you have a wind element, learning fire techniques will be exceedingly difficult for you. As such, in order to achieve your full potentials, it is tantamount that the two of you work together to address some of your pitfalls." The result was a bitter pill for the two boys to swallow, and after a quick glance at each other they turned harshly away, snorting at the same time.

Anko was chuckling as she approached Kakashi and shaking her head at the antics of the two genin. "They've been like this the whole time Kakashi…and I have to admit, it is really damn funny." Kakashi sighed as he gave his fellow jonin a hang-dog look.

"What was the longest they were able to keep it from exploding into flame?" Anko just chuckled harder at the comment, getting a frown out of Kakashi.

"The longest the two of them have managed it so far is about a minute…they've got a long way before they can manage a full three minutes like you want…" Anko's speech was littered with chuckles as she giggled at the antics of the two boys.

"That's just because this idiot keeps messing up!" Both boys cried out, pointing an accusatory finger at the other. Before the fight could escalate, Kakashi quickly appeared between the two of them.

"Heh, guess that's just what I should expect though…I mean, I didn't really think a washed up clan like the Uchiha and a mongrel clan like the Inuzuka could pull such a hard training exercise off…" Kakashi's voice was rather wistful as he looked off in the direction that Sakura was in, "I guess I'll just go collect Sakura, and we'll wrap up this whole hunter-nin business, maybe train as a regular genin cell…" Kakashi smiled at the immediate reaction his words seemed to inspire.

"What? Give us one more chance, Kakashi-sensei, I promise we'll pull it off!" Naruto turned pleading eyes on the jonin, and Kurama even offered up puppy-dog eyes.

"Yeah, what Naruto said. We'll show you that the two rookies of the year can pull off anything!" Sasuke seemed determined for a moment, and actually gave Naruto a positive smile for once. Kakashi turned a questioning look on the two of them.

"Well, in that case, I'll go gather Sakura up. If the next leaf you have is burnt up by the time Anko and I return, I'm ending this training session. If not…you get to go find yourself some lunch in the forest." Kakashi smiled at the determined look he saw on their faces. As he left, Anko ambled over to his side.

"That was really underhanded of you…" Anko's voice was a conspiratorial whisper, and caused Kakashi to give her an eye smile out of the corner of his eye. "I'd only been laughing at and insulting the two to get under their skin, but you went straight for the jugular…" Kakashi only let out a slight chuckle as they came into a clearing. There they found Sakura concentrating closely on a small bowl of rice.

"So, how's the banshee been doing, Hana?" Hana looked over at the group, shushing Anko as they approached. The girl had a large scroll spread out on her lap, and seemed to be focusing intently on some worded passage.

"She's actually been doing alright…little bit outspoken at first, but she really gets down to work after a bit." Kakashi smiled a bit at hearing that. After the first display he saw, he was getting rather worried.

"Ah, Kakashi-sensei, welcome back! Where did you go earlier?" Kakashi turned and looked at the pink haired girl that had just looked up from her work.

"I had to stop by and talk to the Hokage for a bit. Give a mission report on the team's first exercise with the bell test…" Sakura paled slightly at being reminded of the almost scarring experience. "Other than that, not much else…" Sakura blinked before fixing Kakashi with a heated glare.

"Wait a minute…you only had that to do and yet it took you almost six hours to get back here?" Kakashi blinked for a moment then put his hand behind his head and smiled absently.

"Well, I might have had to help an old lady or two across the street, you know, things like that?" Sakura narrowed her eyes further at the man, but didn't say anything in response. "Anyways, it's almost time for the three of you to go on your first food gathering hunt…why don't we go meet up with Sasuke and Naruto." Sakura continued to give him a sly look, but took to her feet anyways.

"Thanks for your help Hana-senpai. I'll make sure to keep practicing later tonight, and get this down as soon as I can." Hana shook her head in amazement but continued to smile at the girl.

"Don't worry too much about getting it down quickly…elemental manipulation usually takes people years to master, so it will be awhile before you master this step." Sakura smiled and nodded, before running over to Kakashi's side. The man smiled and ruffled the girl's hair, getting a blush from Sakura in return.

As Kakashi returned to the training ground he left Naruto and Sasuke in, he came upon a strange sight. Both boys seemed to be extremely quiet, and extremely still. Their faces were completely blank, and in between them was a leaf that was hardly even singed at all. He blinked in surprise and as he stepped forward he absentmindedly crushed a branch underneath his foot.

"GAH!" Naruto lept back from the leaf, and Sasuke was suddenly replaced by a fallen log as a gout of flame leaped ten feet into the air. "Damn it Kakashi-sensei, we had that down until you showed up!" Sasuke walked back into the clearing, his clothes lightly singed from the near miss.

"Well, it looks like you two managed to pull off the three minute mark I wanted. Starting tomorrow, as soon as you both can manage that at the start of the training, you can work on developing your individual manipulation. I think Naruto is going to have to work on his control for a bit longer though judging from that little display." Naruto grinned absently to himself, and Sasuke merely smirked in agreement.

"Now then, I need to meet up with your trainers…why don't you three go find yourselves something to eat in the woods for the time being…" Getting nods from the two boys, Kakashi smiled as they disappeared into the woods.

"Hey, wait up you two! You left without me, damn it!" Sakura leapt up into the trees, racing to keep up with her comrades.

xXxXxXx

"I can't believe you two left without me, what the hell was the deal with that?" Naruto smirked as he turned to Sakura.

"We just knew you'd be able to catch up is all, Sakura!" Naruto paused as he landed on a branch, smiling back at the girl. "Besides, Sasuke and I are riled up from all that sitting around, you know?" Naruto turned to his teammate, hoping to get some back up.

"Maybe you're riled up, I just was trying to get away from the annoying sound of your voice." Though Sasuke's words were biting, he was smiling friendly at Naruto.

"Bah! Whatever, you just like hogging the spotlight is all!" Naruto waved off Sasuke's response as he turned back to Sakura. "Now, what awesome stuff were you learning with my sister, huh?" Sakura smiled wickedly at Naruto.

"Well…I learned how someone always sleeps with their favorite fox friend to keep away nightmares?" Naruto looked stricken at that.

"What! Hana told you that?" Sakura's grin only grew wider.

"No…but you just did…" Sakura's smile was all the way across her face as Naruto gave her one of his dirtiest looks ever.

"I hate you both right now, you know that right?" Naruto's deadpan face was enough to get a small smile even out of Sasuke. "So, where should we start looking for those food drops huh?" Sasuke stopped on a nearby branch, catching the attention of the other two.

"We should be far enough away from the training area now to start searching. I figured that they probably wouldn't leave too many foodstuffs near our training area, as that'd be too easy." The others nodded in agreement, and Sasuke turned to Naruto with a smile on his face. "So, picking up any scents Naruto?" Naruto and Kurama both blinked at Sasuke before closing their eyes in unison.

"I got something near here, but there are a lot of scents similar to Anko-sensei near it…we probably have some food of ours in a snake infested area." Sasuke nodded in confirmation. "I'll lead the way, so you guys just follow me…I'll stop outside of the smells range so we know just how close we can get." The two nodded and proceeded to leap through the trees. Naruto stopped them after a while, a single fist held up silently. The motion was hardly necessary though…

"That…is a lot of snakes…" Sakura for once was left dumbfounded. Ahead of them was a snake hive. The ground and trees seemed alive, there was a number of them writhing over the trees, along the ground, and surrounding a hole in the ground where the snakes seemed to be pouring.

"Yeah…and they are also our main problem…the smell of the food is coming from inside that hole…" Sasuke turned to look at Naruto, and shook his head.

"I know how to clear them out. Give me your explosive notes." Sakura blinked at the boy, before pulling one from her weapons pouch. Naruto gave the boy a grimace, before pulling out a wad of paper.

"The rest of mine are in my pack…sorry, but I thought we'd at least have our camping supplies with us, so I packed most of mine with my other gear." Sasuke grimaced at the answer, but nodded in acceptance. Naruto for his part handed twelve over, making the boy give him a questioning look.

"I was told to always keep my explosives note on me, in case I was separated from my equipment." Sasuke blinked, but nodded again in agreement.

"I only need four. Sakura, take yours back. I'll add one of mine, and we can use three of Naruto's…" Naruto grinned, and rubbed the back of his head while smiling.

Four explosive notes were quickly lined up on kunai and flung towards the corners of the whole. Naruto watched the explosives flying towards the whole, and at the last second Sasuke shot out a large fireball, racing towards the center. Naruto kept his eyes on the explosion as it happened, staring straight into the burgeoning firestorm. Sasuke did not even seem to be paying attention, jumping to the ground and racing towards the whole even as snakes fled quickly from the destruction.

"Naruto, stop staring at the explosion and move damn it! This is no time to be gawking around like a loser!" Naruto shook himself to see Sakura and Sasuke racing away from the whole, pulling along what looked to be a large backpack with the Inuzuka crest on the side.

"That crazy bitch put all of my stuff in a snake hole? Oh, I am so getting back at her later, the crazy snake bitch…" Naruto jumped down and took some of the weight from his teammates, throwing a spare explosive note behind him as the snakes approached. Naruto stopped to watch in glee as the snakes were blown to pieces by the explosion.

"Naruto, less staring, more running! This is seriously uncool, you know!" Sakura's screech got Naruto moving again, racing to catch up to the retreating forms of his teammates.

xXxXxXx

Anko suddenly looked over towards the far horizon. In the distance, she could see large amounts of smoke and what seemed to be the flickering lights of fire. 'That's the direction of the snake hive…those damn brats got the Inuzuka pack first…heh, go figure.' The woman chuckled as she jumped down the tree, joining Kakashi and Hana who had taken to idle chat after discussing their student's progress.

"Damn fine bunch of kids you got there Kakashi…they went straight for the snake hive drop first, one of the harder ones and with the most stuff…don't know if that makes them gutsy or stupid, but either way I'm impressed by the amount of firepower their packing" Hana giggled at that, getting both to spare the younger ninja a glance.

"Mom's always having Kiba and Naruto listen to her lectures about practicing and preparing properly…Naruto's seemed to take to some of them, including carrying his full explosive payout on his person at all times." Kakashi felt his eyes widen at that.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with carrying three or four explosive notes at all times…"Anko mused, sitting herself next to the two.

"Hana, just how many explosive notes does Naruto keep on his possession at all times?" Kakashi had his brow furrowed as he looked in the distance towards the now obvious signs of smoke.

"Well…Mom also tells us to have multiple copies at all time…if he listened to both the lessons, probably around a dozen or so…"Hana's perky voice seemed to drill into Kakashi and Anko for a second, who both robotically turned to her with looks of shock.

"A dozen explosive notes! What the hell does that blockhead need with a dozen! From what I saw earlier, if he works with the Uchiha, they can make some damn big explosions already!" Hana smiled ruefully as she nodded at Anko.

"Yeah, Naruto was always kept away from the explosive notes when he was younger…he seemed to take to them very well when he was young…I was always worried he was going to blow Kiba sky high!" The girl finished with a laugh as she took in the looks of her comrades, "Don't worry though, I'm sure he wouldn't destroy too much of the forest…unless there are snakes or spiders, he really hates those things with a passion…" Kakashi shook his head while Anko hung hers in embarrassment.

"I just had to put it near the snake hive, didn't I? Kid probably went after it to get back at me…" Hana just giggled at Anko and pulled more food from her bento.

"I'm just glad that those three are progressing as well as they are…by the end of the third day I'll probably even be able to pass on some tricks to them with any luck…" Kakashi took a draw from a cup of tea as he watched the area the smoke was coming from, "…though I may have to put out that fire if it goes on much longer…"

xXxXxXx

"Shit Sasuke, what did you do to make that explosion so massive?" Sasuke smirked and looked back at Naruto with a superior look.

"An idiot like you would never understand." Naruto growled at the boy and leapt up so he was neck in neck with him.

"Just what the hell is your problem huh? Thinking you're in charge all the time? Do you need me to remind you who wins our taijutsu fights half the time?" Sasuke just gave the boy a smug look and shook his head.

"Brag about beating me in Taijutsu when I have the Sharingan, blockhead. You won't be catching up once that happens…" Naruto just continued to growl at the boy as they leaped through the trees.

"Naruto, leave Sasuke-kun alone! He did most of the work pulling your stuff out of the snake hole, you should show him some gratitude!" Sakura jumped up next to the two boys, but reigned herself in from acting out. _'Cha! If it wasn't for that stupid deal with Hana, I'd be punching you into next week right now!' _

Naruto's growl cut off, and he gave the slightest, most imperceptible nod to Sasuke. The other boy smirked and nodded back as they raced through the trees. Before long, the three had made it back to their training ground, and began pulling out their cooking equipment and food.

"Naruto, is all you have ramen and beef jerky?" Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head in response. "Seriously, no wonder you're so short with a diet like that…" At this, Naruto growled before snatching the food from Sakura.

"OI! Just because I decide to eat a little unhealthy when mom's not around doesn't mean anything!" Sasuke sneered at that response, storming off to get water from the stream without saying anything. Naruto watched the boy go and felt his frown deepen. "What the hell is his problem?" Sakura shook her head, her hands trembling in desire to hit the blonde idiot. After a moment she reined her anger in and stared hard at Naruto. "What? What did I say?"

"You idiot, Sasuke-kun's had to grow up on his own without any parents…ever since the incident with his clan…" Naruto felt his eyes widen before smacking himself in the forehead. 'Heh, I guess even he knows when he deserves to get hit…'

"Damn it, mom keeps telling me it's important to work on that whole tact thing with those outside the clan…Sakura, seriously, next time I do something so stupid, just smack me one, okay?" Sakura blinked before grinning eagerly at the boy.

"You sure you want to make that deal Naruto?" Naruto blinked in surprise, before smacking himself in the forehead again. "You know what, never mind. It's more fun to see if I can get you to hit yourself." Kurama gave a small yip of agreement before jumping on top of Naruto's head.

"Thanks…man, one of these days I swear I'm going to get this whole thinking before I speak thing down…" Sasuke walked back into camp at this time, his shoulders slumped from carrying buckets of water.

"Why would you do that, blockhead? It's more fun hearing what comes out of your second-rate mouth all the time…" Naruto gave the boy a wicked look, before shaking his head and sticking his hand out. "What's that for?" Sasuke voice was suspicious as he looked at the outstretched appendage.

"It's called shaking, even dog's know how to do it." As Sasuke scowled at him, Naruto fought the urge to smack himself in the forehead again. "It's supposed to be for creating a truce between two groups…" Sasuke blinked, before giving an even more curious look to the boy.

"Why would I want a truce with you? What can you offer me that would make me want to stop arguing with you?" Naruto fought down the growl in his throat before smiling wickedly.

"Well, if you don't I can use my tracking abilities to help all your fan's track you down?" Sasuke paled considerably at that before shaking hands with Naruto quickly.

"That includes helping Sakura too, you know? Unless it's for a team meeting or something…" Sakura paled in turn at Sasuke's addendum.

"Naruto, don't you dare make a truce with Sasuke damn it! Eternal rivals for ever, that's what you two should be!" Sakura screamed, trying to jump between the two boys. Kurama yipped in warning, before jumping and scurrying around the girl's neck. "You'll help me track down Sasuke-kun, right Kurama? Unlike Naruto?" Kurama yipped in agreement getting Sakura to snuggle the fox to her chest.

"You traitor fox!" Kurama yipped several things back at Naruto, causing the boy to blush in response. "You don't say…you're telling me all about that later, boy…" Sakura looked between Naruto and the fox before walking up and smacking Naruto upside the head.

"It's rude to talk about a lady in front of her, you idiot!" Naruto grabbed at his head even as Kurama jumped down and yipped excitedly at Naruto.

'These three…are real idiots sometimes…still, they're nice enough. So long as they don't distract me too much, maybe it'll be alright to get to know them…' Sasuke's scowl lightened ever so slightly as he looked at the three of them.

xXxXxXx

"Well, looks like you three made out rather well for yourselves on your first hunting trip…" Kakashi walked into the clearing, Hana and Anko flanking behind him. "Still, based on that I'm going to have to confiscate all the rations you have left…" Kakashi smirked to himself as he saw the looks of outrage on their faces.

"Oh come on now, you didn't think I'd really let you have it that easy, now did you? I had Hana and Anko hide the main packs in places where there were over laying smells, hoping that would be enough to keep the majority of your stuff hidden." Naruto smirked happily at his accomplishment. "Still, you managed to find them, so I'm going to have to change the parameters a bit to make this training exercise worth anything." Kakashi fixed the three with a hard glare.

"As you know, during training sessions my word is law. You will hand over all food stuffs now. The camping equipment can stay, as I am impressed. However, you will not challenge me on this, understand?" Naruto looked a bit bent out of shape over having to hand over his ramen, but did so reluctantly. Sakura and Sasuke both gave frowns to Kakashi.

"Naruto, this is your pack isn't it? I'm going to have to tell mom that you missed her lectures on eating healthy…" Naruto paled considerably as he turned to look at his sister.

"Come on, sis, you don't need to do that! So what if I packed ramen and beef jerky, how was I supposed to know Kakashi-sensei was going to be this mean?" Naruto turned pleading eyes on Hana, who just smirked and shook her head, laughing lightly.

"Put a can in it, blockhead. We're burning daylight, and we still have to introduce you three to your weapons yet. You'll want to get a handle on them so you can even survive in these damn woods at night." Anko's voice was harsh as she pitched a scroll at each of the genin's feet. "Open 'em up, then pair off. Pinky, you're with me. Duckbutt, you get to work with Kakashi. Spikes, you get to work with Hana." Sakura and Sasuke both gave Anko dirty looks as Naruto felt his grin grow.

"I knew you had a soft spot for me, you crazy snake lady! I got the only cool name!" Naruto felt the familiar feeling of his cheek getting nicked by a kunai.

"Yeah, and you really don't want to know what I do with the things I like, got that blockhead?" Naruto nodded quickly, making it almost look like his head was going to fall off.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at his teammates antics before pulling his scroll open to reveal a short blade, about as long as his forearm, with a simple handle. Sasuke picked it up, and hefted it once, before turning to look at Kakashi. "Where are we training at?" Kakashi smiled at the boy before disappearing in a burst of speed. Sasuke jumped up and followed after the man.

"OI! Stop making me look bad, dang it!" Naruto quickly opened his scroll and nodded to Hana. The older girl smiled at her younger brother before disappearing with him into the woods. Sakura for her part slowly unrolled her scroll, keeping a fearful eye on the now grinning Anko.

"That's right, just you and me pinky. You get to learn first-hand how to use a whip…" Sitting there, in front of Sakura was a metal contraption. It had nine sections to it, and had a blade at the end. As the girl lifted it up, she noted rectangular flags were attached to the base of the blade. The chain sections were linked together, and as she held it up, Sakura realized that it stretched from her head all the way down to the ground. "That's a nine-section whip. You're going to learn how to use it this week, and you are going to learn how to use it first, by having me use it on you, and you watch. Until then, you start with this…" Anko pulled what at first looked to be a small snake from her pocket, till Sakura realized it was cured snake hide.

"That is a blacksnake whip, and is what you will start with. When you have impressed me enough, you can graduate to the nine-section whip." Anko's smile took on a feral grin. "Now then, let me show you why whips and chains excite me…" Sakura leapt to her feet and dodged, just in time to see the nine section whip slash into the ground where she had been standing. A moment later, she felt the effects of a genjutsu setting in, and she forced her chakra through her body to quickly release it. When she did, she found the whip already around her neck.

"Now tell me, how did I snare you so easily in that genjutsu?" Sakura flushed at the closeness of the older women, who was pressing a kunai in her other hand against Sakura's back.

"When you struck with it, you channeled genjutsu chakra down the whip and into the colored cloth…" Sakura's response came out in gasps at the tightness of Anko's weapon.

"Hey, you do have a brain! That was very good. Today's first lesson will be in using visual and audio stimuli to generate minor genjutsu. They won't buy you much time in a fight, but you don't need much time if you learn to be ruthless enough." Anko released the girl, who rubbed at her neck absentmindedly. "You first need to manage to make the whip I gave you crack at will. Once you've done that, I'll set up some targets for you. After some target practice, you get to learn how to make a genjutsu from the sounds of a whip cracking, as well as get in some combat practice with using them on me," Anko smiled at the last bit. "Of course, I'm not just going to stand there to get whipped…I have to get in on the fun too you know?" Sakura felt her face pale, but she forced herself to stand and look Anko in the eye.

"Haha, now that's the spirit pinky! Let's see if we can get that brain of yours in the right mindset!" Anko smirked as she set up targets for the girl, chuckling inwardly to herself. 'Oh Ibiki-san, I think I might have found my eventual replacement…'

xXxXxXx

"Hmm…well, your speed is still in need of some work I can see. Oh well, the tree climbing exercise will help with that, no doubt." Kakashi turned to regard Sasuke calmly, taking in the boys panting appearance. "Right then, you get to learn how to use that tanto of yours." Sasuke stood up, forcing his breath even as he regarded Kakashi carefully.

"The training sessions between us, will consist of me first showing you some basic patterns of movement, and then you repeating them. After an hour of that, we have sparring for two hours, where you are to only use the moves that I showed you during the beginning of the session." Sasuke nodded in understanding to Kakashi, but a slight frown was on the boy's face.

"If you are wondering why I'm having you copy my movements, it is because I feel my Sharingan most active at those times. With any luck, sessions like these will help increase the odds of you awakening yours sooner." Sasuke blinked in surprise at the explanation before grinning widely.

"Sounds like fun. Let's get started then." Kakashi smiled tiredly at the boy, pulling out a tanto of his own.

xXxXxXx

"Sis, why do I have to learn how to use a bow? Sakura and Sasuke get cool weapons, and I'm stuck with a lame old bow…" Hana rolled her eyes at her little brother before flicking him lightly in the forehead.

"Quiet you. The bow is a traditional weapon of the Inuzuka. Our bond with dogs and originally wolves stemmed from our history as hunters. Bows are the ancient weapon of our clan, so you were bound to have to learn how to use one at some point." Naruto frowned at the response, but nodded in agreement. "Besides, Kiba doesn't get to start learning how to use his until he's a Chuunin, so you can brag to him about that later!" Hana giggled at the smile that came over the boy's face.

"Why didn't you say that sooner! Oh man, this is going to be awesome!" Hana rolled her eyes again at her brother, and Kurama swatted him with his tail to make the boy quiet down.

"Thanks Kurama" The fox gave the girl an appreciative nod. "Now then, the thing is bows are pretty easy to learn how to use, they just require practice. I'm going to leave you to that on your own time. What I want you to focus on is learning how to make the Gatsuuga pass through into your arrows." Naruto blinked up owlishly at his sister, before nodding and putting on his thinking face.

"So, if the arrows spin like the Gatsuuga, they should be able to pierce a lot of enemies…but wouldn't the chakra of the Gatsuuga destroy the arrow?" Hana smiled at her younger brother before pulling out some oddly shaped arrows.

"These are metal chakra arrows. They are a specialty of our clan, and the secret of making them have been passed down for quite a while. You get to learn how to channel your chakra, in the way that Gatsuuga is performed, into these arrows over the next week." Naruto's eyes seemed to go wide as he looked at the precious tools. Hana smiled at the look, and reached out to ruffle her brother's hair.

"Now then, I've set up some targets in the woods near here. Let's see if you can find and shoot them all down before our time's up, ok?" Naruto nodded in return to this, pulling his bow out from behind his back. It was a simple black compound bow, seemingly made of the same material as the arrows were. The bow had a heavy feel to it, and as Naruto drew the first arrow, he just knew that it would rip straight through almost any normal target.

"Alright, I'll get this down in no time, just you watch!" Naruto nocked the first arrow as he looked around the woods. Spotting a ramen cup up in one of the trees, Naruto felt his eyes go wide in understanding. "You're gonna have me shoot my own food!" His look of outrage turned on Hana, who only smiled mischievously.

"If you don't like my choice in targets, I really will tell mom what you decided to bring on a long-term survival mission…" Her voice was complete sweetness, and Naruto scowled at the girl.

"You're so mean sis…I doubt the others have to deal with teachers as mean as you are…"

xXxXxXx

Three hours later found Sakura passed out in a clearing, her body covered by small cuts, and her head resting lightly against a tree. "Guess I pushed her a little too far…still she's got the fire to master that weapon, so I guess I can let her rest for a bit…" Anko looked down at the girl, and realized that she was reminiscing about her few rare good times as a genin. 'Heh, damn Kakashi…I should be destroying spiders right now, not thinking about helping out some snot nosed brats.' Anko was brought out of her musings as she noticed the approach of Kakashi and Sasuke.

"Took you two long enough! I just got her worn down before you idiots got here…" Anko smirked up at the pair, and noticed Sasuke passing a worried eye over the girl below.

'She really looks beat up…she may still be the least competent on the team, but at least she's learning to pull her own weight.' Sasuke wearily dropped to the ground, wincing in pain at his leg's own protesting. 'Guess I'm hurting a bit too…still, feels great to get this much training done in such a short amount of time.' Sasuke felt himself slide down against the tree, settling in next to the girl.

"Man, what happened to you two, you look like hell warmed over twice!" Naruto landed in the clearing. He looked the least out of shape or breath, and Sasuke scowled up at the boy.

"Unlike someone else, the two of us just worked our asses off for the last three hours." Naruto returned the boy's scowl, before looking away harshly. Sakura woke up at this point, and blinked blearily at the two of them.

"What's up? Is our week over with already?" Sasuke rolled his eyes at the girl and Naruto shook his head ruefully.

"Sorry sleeping beauty, we still have six more days to go until we're released." Sakura blushed at Naruto's compliment, and pulled herself to her feet looking away. _'Cha! Wish Sasuke-kun would say stuff like that…Ino would never live that one down!' _

"Well, now that the three of you are up and about, we'll give you a few moments to collect yourselves, and then the three of you are going to go head to head in a sparring match." That got the reaction Kakashi was hoping for; Naruto and Sasuke both perked right up and seemed to be at attention.

"Why don't we make it sporting Kakashi…since the runt has a fox partner, he can fight against Sasuke and Sakura together…" Naruto sputtered and turned an angry eye on Anko.

"This is because I helped blow up your snake nest, isn't it?" Anko merely smiled and winked at the boy, making him growl.

"Come on, second-best. You always are spouting off how you're better than me, well, here is your chance to prove it." Sasuke grinned at Naruto, hoping to goad him into fighting.

"Now remember, this fight is only taijutsu based, no elemental ninjutsu or genjutsu allowed." Kakashi fished around in his pockets before pulling out three more scrolls. "These are your training weapons, they are dulled and blunted so as to prevent permanent injury, however the slashing sections are covered in paint so we know when a direct hit is scored." Naruto gave a feral grin while looking at Sasuke.

"Let's see those eyes of yours beat me know, duckbutt…" Sasuke scowled at the boy and pulled out his own tanto. In an instant, the three ninja had disappeared in a blur, fighting on the nearby open clearing.

"You think it's wise to encourage those two Kakashi…they are both alpha-males by nature…this keeps up and one of them is really going to hurt the other." Kakashi waved off Hana's concern and gave her a lazy eye.

"That's why I have you along Hana, a good medic is there to make sure training accidents in hunter-squads don't go too far. I have a lot of hope for this team, I think they are going to do just fine." Hana rolled her eyes at the lazy scarecrow, and tried to hide her worry as she watched their team go at each other viciously.

xXxXxXx

Naruto and Sasuke stood panting, each facing the other. Sakura and Kurama had bowed out a while ago, and now sat on the sidelines, watching the fight silently. Each boy was shaking from the effort of standing, and seemed to be on their last legs.

"You…are…a right bastard…you know that, right?" Sasuke smirked and nodded at the boy, too weak himself to say anything. The two boys rushed forward, each gripping a practice kunai, before thrusting at each other. Sasuke had just enough reach on Naruto for his to land first, and knock the boy to the side.

"Sorry…but you still come up short, Naruto…" Sasuke reached a hand down to help the boy up, and Naruto grabbed on, pulling himself to his feet.

"That was good you three…though Sakura, you need to continue to work on your stamina once this training mission is over with." Sakura nodded to Kakashi as he approached the clearing. "Well, you three are done for the day, and there are a few hours left. Hana and Anko have removed the food from the training area, so you're on your own for food for the next couple of days. Good luck, and try not to get killed. We'll stop back in for training tomorrow morning at the same time." Kakashi smiled at the group, and pitched several bottles of water to the kids. Turning, he waved lazily over his shoulder as he exited the clearing.

Both boys seized on the water, and immediately began guzzling it down. Sasuke came up first from his drinking, and looked around the training ground. There were small craters here and there from where Sasuke and Naruto had thrown each other. 'Though he still is second best, he is not a bad opponent in taijutsu…' Shaking his head, the boy took another swig of water before looking at the others.

"We should head back to our campsite. Sakura, even though you bowed out earlier, you still look the most tired, so you should manage the camp while Naruto and I get wood and food." Sakura nodded in acceptance to that, and Kurama raced over to jump on top of Naruto's shoulders.

"I'll get the food Sasuke. My bow will let me hunt things from a distance, and with your fire jutsu you'll be better off starting the fire." Sasuke nodded neutrally as the group turned to go about their evening tasks.

xXxXxXx

Naruto pulled back on the bow string, watching as the rabbit came into sight. It was a mother rabbit, and Naruto had been following it to her den. 'Hard to believe that things like rabbits live in this forest, but I guess that the denizens need to live on something…' It killed part of the boy to do this, but he knew that predators and prey were a part of the brutal circle of life. Drawing the string back to its utmost, Naruto sighed in and out, waiting for the rabbit to pause in the clearing.

The rabbit suddenly froze as it placed itself in front of a small hole. Kurama had slinked into the clearing, and was giving off a low growl. The rabbit found itself torn between placing itself between its family and its predator, and running. It was then that Naruto loosed the arrow, turning away right before the shot struck home.

Naruto swallowed hard as he stood in front of the slain rabbit, and turned himself away from the sight of Kurama fishing the baby rabbits from out of the den. They were fairly large, which was good. With six of them, that meant enough meat for tonight and the morning. Still, Naruto had to fight to keep his gag reflex down as he skinned them.

When Naruto returned to the clearing, he saw a small fire going, and that Sasuke and Sakura had scrounged up enough tubers for a small stew. Naruto stepped into the clearing, the meat being carried in a net bag. He set it down near the fire and started cooking it. Upon seeing his downtrodden face, neither Sasuke nor Sakura knew what to say.

Sakura came over to the fire first, pulled out the meat, and skewered it, sticking it into the fire. She noticed Naruto look away as he did so, and Kurama duck his head, curling into Naruto's neck. "Thank you Naruto…without this, we might not have the strength to go on tomorrow." Naruto's head came around at that, and Sakura had to fight to continue while faced with the grief in his eyes. "Thank you, and I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier. You're a really dependable teammate, and I'm glad I get to work with you." Naruto bit back his words, his face going hard as he struggled not to say anything stupid.

"What she said, Inuzuka. I appreciate what you've done, and will take on some of the burden tomorrow as well." Naruto looked up in surprise at Sasuke, who had a neutral, but appreciative look on his face. Naruto felt the pain leave his face, but nodded in agreement. With that, the three turned and looked into the fire, each silently awaiting their coming meal.

xXxXxXx

"Well, the days sure have passed quickly, haven't they guys?" Kakashi looked over his group of genin, and smiled at each of them. They had on the same outfits as when they went into the woods, but the man could see that the team that had gone in had not come out. Sakura had her whip positioned at her hip, and seemed to brush her hands over it quite often. The girl had worked the hardest overall after the first day, and had even gotten Anko to hand over the nine-section whip already, a testament to her blossoming skill. Sasuke seemed to grip his tanto tightly at all times, his hands constantly sheathing and unsheathing it, just to hear the sound the weapon made. Naruto had matured quite a bit, becoming quieter and checking over his bow every evening. He cleaned it religiously, and kept the arrows clean at all times. Still, Kakashi took pride in the fact that the three seemed to like working with each other, and had really developed into a team after a week from hell.

"Yeah, but you rookies are nowhere near as green as when you started…I think the Hokage should have this be mandatory for new teams to go through at some point, it really helped you three out a lot! I can't even call you all blockheads anymore!" The three kids smirked at Anko, each remembering their training with them in their own specific ways. "That's right, from now on, you three have graduated to grunts and underlings, people I have to give some grudging respect." All three kids rolled their eyes at the woman, but smiles were on each of their faces, except Sasuke who continued with a slight scowl.

"Come on, you three worked hard. I personally am most proud of Sakura, she improved the most drastically, I'd say." Hana smiled at the girl. Though their first introduction had been rough, they had gotten to know each other better throughout the week and had really bonded.

"Thanks, Hana-senpai. I'm going to keep working on those scrolls you left me, and become a medic in no time. Same to you, Anko-senpai! I promise I'll work really hard and make you both proud." The two women smiled at Sakura, Anko coming up to muss her hair a bit and lean in close to the girl's ear.

"Just remember what I said…dress like you mean business after this, keep the hair in a bun, and…" Sakura blushed slightly, already knowing what was coming next, "The more repressed a guy is, the hotter it will be when he finally cuts loose…" Sakura fought off the nose bleed and her desire to look at Sasuke. That was one thing Anko had beaten into her head the whole week, was how tough guys like him did not want fan girls following after him.

"Well, I'll see you at home later, okay Naruto?" Naruto nodded at Hana, who came over and crushed him into a hug. "And if you ever need help again, just let me know, ok?" Naruto tried to squirm away as he heard Sakura giggle and saw Sasuke smirk at him lightly.

"Alright, I get it sis, now let me go!" Hana just smirked and ruffled his hair before running over to Kakashi.

"Keep them safe for me, will you?" Kakashi nodded before the girl jumped off into the trees.

"Alright you three, since the day is still young, we're going to go get you your first ninja mission!" Naruto and Sasuke each grinned at the other and Sakura smiled lightly as they followed Kakashi out of the training ground that had been their home for a week.

xXxXxXx

Alright, now that I have the training out of the way, the ninja missions can begin…and yeah, there will be D-ranked missions to start with, as well as a cameo or two before the official start of the wave mission.

Now then, after rereading the comments, I found there were still some other answers out there that I had not given. To start with, Naruto's change in hair color is an affectation of the seal that Minato created to hide his identity. It allows him to take on an appearance similar to whatever family decided to adopt him. It fades slightly when the fox is active, as that overpowers the cosmetic changes that Minato had intended. In addition, his clan markings are part of the Inuzuka Clan secret arts I have decided. Over time, the fang marks allow a chakra connection to their partners. As for Naruto, his have developed more as whiskers than as fang markings. His have a smaller needle tip near his mouth, but flare out as they proceed away from his face. Also, as I said before, no plans for a pairing, but I'm thinking of maybe having one inside the village. Have to see how the characters interact when I write that in a couple of the chapters. Have to say though, I am not planning on having a diplomatic marriage, sorry to those that are interested in that. I'm trying that in my other story, and it is just giving me no end of headaches.

Moving on, Sasuke as the taijutsu specialist. The reason for this is that, with his Sharingan, he can see his enemies move before they happen. If he can then get his speed up to match, he can counter almost any known style. On top of that, he makes more sense as a general combatant, as he has access to all elements. As long as he knows a basic technique for each of them, he can push himself to get stronger at fighting all types of combatants. As for his multiple 'affinities' those are due to the Sharingan line. The Uchiha were feared far and wide, and known as jutsu stealers. On top of that, with the ability to progress into the Rinnengan, which has access to all elements, it only makes sense that the Uchiha had at least fledgling abilities in each elemental area. To sum up, because Sasuke can use all elements, and can react to all fighting styles he is fast enough to counter, he can use the minimum amount of chakra to take on a large number of lesser skilled foes quite easily. Until he builds up his reserves though, Naruto is better suited for the heavy hitters, as he has the sheer volume of chakra to throw at tougher opponents. While Naruto could develop quickly into a powerhouse, by breaking down and regenerating muscle quickly, he still would have to learn the physical forms and patterns like a normal person (even with Shadow Clones, as muscle memory, I believe, does not transfer). Sasuke on the other hand, can pick up a difficult style, as well as its speed and power, inside of a month for his own personal use. The more fighters he faces, the faster he can learn such tricks, keeping him ahead of almost anyone. The Uchiha I feel had a right to feel superior, and Itachi as one of their best was able to kill them (with I believe help from Tobi, but that's in anime version I think).

As for Naruto not picking up elements from the other families, I think that elements would be passed kind of epi-genetically. So, if a former family member used them, they would be more likely to pass on. Minato, I'm saying for my story, came from a line of wind users, one of the only family of them in Konoha. Kushina though, came from a family of seal users; elements were left to the side in favor of developing sealing proficiency. Tsume, while Naruto's mother, and while Naruto has some of her physical characteristics due to Minato's seal, does not pass on any of the Inuzuka traits for elemental mastery. As for Naruto developing the fangs of the Inuzuka, that occurs through a ritual of the clan, a clan held secret which I will expand upon much later in the story.


	4. Chapter 4: Sensei's bad habits!

Alright! So, time to answer some rave mail! So, the last chapter had a bunch of people up in arms about Sakura having the Mokuton for three reasons it seems…one is that she is an unlikeable character, the second is a lack of precedent, and the other is that it is massively overpowered. There are simple counters to that though, that I am surprised that no one thought of…

First: Sasuke has the Sharingan, and Naruto has the Nine-tails…and no one complains that these are overpowered why? Because they have obvious balances and are the male main characters…the same can be said for the Mokuton, which Kishimoto even gave a built in limiter for (Cuz he's awesome like that). So far in the show, everyone who has used the wood release, has not been as skilled or as powerful as Hashirama. It also has attempted to either kill them, or completely take over their personalities on several occasions. So, to say that it is a double edged sword, and not an overly powerful power up is more than accurate. Expect that to happen in this story for sure. Especially since those who can use those powers had to work for years, if not a decade or more to get their act even slightly together. Sakura's intelligent…but she's not overnight shadow clone good. So, don't say that it is outrageously powerful or anything like that, because without training it's just a spinning bit of DNA…

Secondly: While she is assuredly an unlikeable character in the beginning, I ask you: how many unlikeable characters in the main series had power ups/ abilities that were way overpowerd for their point in the story line? Neji for example…or maybe Orochimaru…or even the insanely OP Tobi? Granted, some of those grew over time. But by that same logic, what is to stop Sakura from growing over time? I get that she's a bit overly violent in mine thus far, but if you compare her reactions against her original self, they are mild…and getting milder. She's getting served humble pie quite frequently, and is intimidated already by teammates that are more skilled than her already…give the girl a chance to prove herself, will ya?

Which brings us to another point: a strong female character. Has anyone, I mean anyone, noticed how Kishimoto has trouble with a strong female character? He admits it in several interviews, and says that he thinks it would screw up the shonen basis too much. Well, this is fanfiction, and I am willing to admit one written by a Western thinker that believes that female characters deserve to be just as badass as their male counterparts. Sure, I'm making all the main characters special, but they all are special in different ways. Against their worst counterparts, they'd still lose like no-one's business. Naruto would get rolled by a genjutsu specialist. Sasuke loses to overly powerful bamfs. Sakura gets powned by anyone that can get through genjutsus . Yes, she gets some fighting jutsu eventually, and the ability to heal, but face it, with her limited reserves like Kakashi she will never be able to overcome the fact that anyone who can close with her, can kill her. Kakashi escapes that with Sharingan, and in canon, that's what saves his ass nine times out of ten anyone closes with him.

As for her not having this power up/ back story in canon…welp, it's an alternate universe where heroines don't all suck in comparison to heros…get used to that in this one, cuz it's going to come up once in a while. I intend to have female characters that are worth a damn. My basis for her getting it is: she learned medical ninjutsu quickly and better than Tsunade, which demands a strong lifeforce but high chakra control. She is shown to have a strong life force early on in the show when she pitches Ino out of her body. She has split personality issues already (something Danzo is said to have problems with, and Tenzo who have the mokuton). Finally, she never received ANY elemental ninjutsu training, so it could have been kept secret for all of forever. And no one would have known. As for her parents, in the canon manga, they are never brought up. Not once. To say there is room for creative liberties is more than an understatement.

Concerns on power creep is another issue brought up: remember, Naruto lacks clone spamming right now. He is a fast and strong Inuzuka, with a bow, a fox, and a brain. Definitely deadly, but lacking somewhat compared to a guy that could before make over two hundred freaking clones powered with demonic chakra. He's also just starting to learn wind manipulation, and while he's got a strong affinity, until he gets his quality control down, he's going to be at a bit of a disadvantage against an actually prepared opponent. Sasuke has his fire ninjutsu, and at least a start of elemental control, wire techniques, kunai mastery (all his former abilities in canon if you do your homework) as well as a new blade to wing around. Put that, speed/strength, and a creative and intelligent mind together, and that's why he was really rookie of the year. Sakura has a whip that she hardly knows how to use (the nine-section chain reportedly takes several years to be considered a beginner fighter proficient in use), some genjutsus that are ridiculously easy to break, and the basics of medicine, like treatings scrapes, cuts, burns, fighting off infection with medicine, making a splint/wrap, CPR, basically boyscout stuff…not horribly deadly or impressive.

To those who are leaving positive reviews…THANK YOU SO MUCH, YOU ARE KEEPING ME GOING! Keep em coming is what I say! Also, though the story has been moving quickly before now, that's because I wanted to get the AU set up, and the training out of the way. Though I will likely be doing more training arcs later, they will be a bit more drawn out and stretched. There just was not a lot happening right now I felt, so I might have rushed it a bit, I'll admit. '(^^) Still, from here it should follow a slightly adjusted canon, and slow down quite a bit.

With that being said, time for the traditional tag line…I own nothing but the original stuff!

xXxXxXx

"Man, I can't wait to get our first ninja mission! I bet it's going to be something really awesome, you know?" Naruto chattered excitedly to Sakura, who just smiled at the boy and shook her head.

"Knowing you, it'll get way more complicated just because you're on the mission…it's probably going to be something really simple and you'll turn it into a huge mess." Sakura ribbed Naruto lightly in the side, showing him he was joking.

Naruto grinned back at the girl and put his hands behind his head, causing Kurama to stir and nuzzle against his cheek appreciatively. "Yeah, but with you and Sasuke there, we'll be able to handle just about anything that gets thrown at us." Sasuke smirked lightly, and nodded at the boy in agreement.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei, thanks to that awesome training we did with you, what kind of mission can we take now, huh? Something really awesome and cool, right?" Kakashi hid his face behind his orange book as he turned a lazy eye on the boy.

"Oh you know, with that sort of training, I'd say you can take the missions most kids your age take…" Naruto turned a puzzled look on the man. "That training really wasn't enough to set you three apart from other kids your age. It was just enough for me to feel positive about working with kids like you." Naruto looked at the man in sheer outrage, and Kurama began to growl lowly. "Now, now, calm down. You three are lucky I even passed you, as there was no need for me to take on a team…I haven't done so in the ten years I've been a jonin, so don't think I couldn't have refused."

"As long as we keep getting stronger at the rate we have been, I don't care if you insult us. I'll at least admit that your methods are effective." Sasuke's cool voice cut through the tension, and got Naruto to give him an equal nod of understanding.

'The teamwork between those two has been steadily improving. I think, for now at least, Naruto has accepted that Sasuke is stronger than him…how long that lasts though remains to be seen…' Kakashi giggled to keep up the guise of reading his book in public, then flicked through a page absentmindedly. In truth, he had read this story so many times that he had the story memorized. Still, it kept people away when he kept up appearances, so what was the harm?

Kakashi did not even look up from his book as they entered the briefing room. He noticed another team of genin leaving, and smiled at the looks of boredom on some of the genin's faces. 'Someone just got their first D-Rank mission…' Kakashi smiled as his team approached the table. Though it was necessary that his team complete a number of D-Rank missions before taking a C-Rank, he honestly couldn't wait for the team to progress far enough to get the harder missions.

"Ah, Kakashi, I was wondering when you were going to show up with your team. I take it the training has gone well." All three of Kakashi's subordinates were surprisingly quiet and well behaved.

'I have to hand it to Tsume-san, those obedience lessons for Naruto were really damn useful.' Kakashi nodded to the third hokage, who smiled in return as he looked through his files. "The training was successful Hokage-san, and I am now more than ready to vouch for the readiness of this team to execute any and all missions you deem them capable of…" The third chuckled at that, looking over the genin carefully.

"Well, I have the perfect mission for your team Kakashi…especially considering that they managed to pick up one of your nastier habits about being tardy…" Kakashi felt his gut clench suddenly as he turned a pleading look on his leader. "The nin-registration cards, the ones necessary for the ninja of this village, are all tardy for your genin…it seems none of them could be bothered to come in and get that done during their week off after graduation, and then they were all whisked off to some training mission that kept them busy…" As the third trailed off, he saw all three of Kakashi's students whip their eyes towards the man with a disapproving look on their faces.

"As such, they will need to have a day off to rest and recover, then come in and take their photos tomorrow. The day after, I'll be allowing them to begin taking missions...and their first will be filing their nin-registration cards properly, along with reregistering all the others that have had to be held up while we waited on them. However, as they are freeing me and my staff of one our more onerous tasks, I'll give half the pay up front as a sign of generosity." Sarutobi felt his grin spread across his face as he looked at Kakashi, who seemed to be furiously trying to remain aloof of the situation despite the six pairs of eyes that were boring holes into him. Kakashi gave a nod of confirmation, before turning on his heel and leaving the mission hallway. As he did so, he soon found Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura following behind him, the sound of grinding teeth obvious.

"And remember Kakashi, next time I want their paper-work filed on time!" Kakashi felt sweat bead the back of his head as he exited the Hokage tower.

xXxXxXx

"Well…you all heard the mission brief right? I think I'll even be generous and give you all tomorrow off as well from training, so after your nin-registration is processed, you can just go home and relax for the day!" Kakashi tried to keep his voice positive and upbeat as he stared down the murderous looks from Sasuke and Naruto. 'Hopefully that extra bit of relaxation will get them to forget about this let down a little bit.' Sakura still was rather miffed, but she seemed to be taking it better than Sasuke and Naruto had.

"You knew that something like this was going to happen didn't you?" Kakashi straightened a bit at Naruto's tone, the accusation biting deep into him. "You must have known that we hadn't filed our nin-registration yet, so why didn't you remind us? Isn't that the job of the jonin sensei? To remind students of important parts of ninja life?" Kakashi just chuckled at that, and rubbed the back of his head absentmindedly.

"Well…you got me there…but look at it this way, you all just got your first experience with getting lost on the path of life!" Kakashi moved quickly to the side as a tanto, arrow, and whip occupied the space he was last in a moment ago. "Heheh, well, I'll see you all here the day after tomorrow then, take care until then!" Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves, deciding to leave his young charges to fend for themselves.

"That guy…I'm really starting to get the feeling that I hate that guy…" Naruto grit out between his teeth, his hand still on his bow string.

"No kidding…training us until we were up to his standard…maybe we should give him punctuality lessons until he's up to ours." Sasuke grit out, stooping to pick his tanto up from the ground. Sakura took that moment to stretch and yawn, winding her whip back into her pocket.

"Well, I don't know about you two, but this first paycheck of ours is burning a hole in my pocket. I think I'm going to go get myself a bit of a new outfit!" Naruto sighed theatrically while grinning at Sakura.

"Give a girl a bit of money, and she goes and blows it on clothes, eh Sasuke?" Sasuke grinned, and shook his head ruefully at his teammates. However, he did nothing to disagree with him.

"You want me repeating that to Hana-senpai Naruto? She did say I could come over and work with her whenever I needed help…" Naruto straightened and gave the girl a wide-eyed stare of fear.

"No…no that's okay Sakura-chan. Just forget I said anything, okay?" Sakura smiled, but nodded at the boy.

"That's better. Alright, then I'll see you guys in a day or two. Bye Naruto, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura turn and took to the streets, dashing off towards the shopping district.

"Heh, well, looks like it's just the two of us now, eh Sasuke?" Naruto turned to his right to see the boy was already missing. "Sasuke? Damn it, I hate it when the bastard does that…Oh well, might as well go get myself something to eat." Naruto felt his grin grow as he looked out on the village. "There are a few hours before mom would even expect me back from the mission…more than enough to eat a couple bowls of ramen…" Naruto grinned to himself as he lept into motion, streaking into the heart of the village.

xXxXxXx

Sakura looked around the village, skipping to herself lightly as she twirled her whip absently in one hand. As she rounded a corner, she came across a local ninja shop that seemed to be having a grand opening sale. 'Well, that looks like the perfect spot to spend this money…' Sakura thought to herself as she walked in. The sign said that they carried ninja outfit and clothing, which got the girls eyes to go wide in desire.

'_Cha! With a new outfit, I might be able to look professional and sexy for Sasuke-kun!'_ Sakura felt her eyes go wide as she looked through the store. There were really good items in here, a lot of them were cheap, and the outfits looked great. As Sakura looked around, she found herself drawn towards the half-kimono section more and more. One seemed to be calling out to her as she looked at it.

The kimono was a deep red, and cut off at around hip height. The sleeves of the outfit went to the elbows, and there was white trim around the edges and center wrap parts. An obi wrapped around the middle was a caked blood red, but was silky to the touch. There was a matching set of black shinobi shorts to go with it, and it came standard with full body mesh, as well as shin and arm plated guards. As Sakura looked at it, she realized that with the price tag she'd be able to afford two outfits, and only because everything was half off. 'Still, this thing is incredibly awesome…I need to get this.' Sakura memorized the number of the outfit and went up to the counter, her head spinning with the possibilities for the new style.

"Hi, my name is Tenten, welcome to the Aoyama weapon's and ninja gear shop!" Sakura blinked as she looked at the girl behind the counter. She had on a pink chinese dress, with brown hair in buns, and deep chocolate eyes. "So, did you find anything you like?" Sakura nodded to the girl, trying not to think how much she reminded her of a panda.

"Yes, I'd like two outfits of number 742 please. I like your dress as well, I've never seen one like it before." Tenten flushed at the girl, but nodded as she wrote down the number.

"Yeah, my dad and I are immigrants to the village. We moved here only recently from one of the small nearby countries, I'd say around ten years ago or so." Sakura nodded and smiled at the girl. It was nice to talk with someone in her age group. Sakura hadn't realized it, but the sudden absence of her female compatriots from the academy was weighing on her slightly.

"Oh, that's nice." Sakura noticed the headband wrapped around the girls waist, and blinked at it in surprise. "Oh, so you're a kunoichi as well." Sakura tapped the one on her hip, next to her nine-section whip. Tenten nodded, and then seemed to get a far off look in her eyes as she stared at Sakura's waist. Sakura backed away slightly from the girl, a bit worried from the frenzied look in her eyes.

"Is that a nine-section whip? How long have you been training with one of those, dad won't let me anywhere near one yet!" Sakura was taken aback by the girl's freakishly obsessive focus on her weapon, and hesitantly pulled it out.

"Yeah, I've only had it for a week or so, so I'm just still getting used to making it move how I want…" Sakura was shocked by the girls sudden reigning in of energy.

"Oh…so you're not a weapons specialist…I just thought that I finally found another is all…" Sakura sighed in relief at the girl, before smiling lightly.

"Sorry about that, but I want to specialize in genjutsu, medicine, and interrogation. I don't have much interest in weapons specialization." Tenten frowned lightly at the girl but then seemed to perk up suddenly.

"Well, good luck with that. I'm glad to see another girl my age who's serious about ninja training. My dad thought I was crazy for pursuing ninja work, saying I was only in it for the chance to get with the Shinobi boys." Sakura paled lightly at that and let out a bit of a forced laugh.

'I really have to thank Anko-sempai for helping me to get at least slight control over my fan girl nature.' Sakura reached into her purse and pulled out her pay for the upcomnig mission, handing it over to the girl behind the counter. "Yeah, well, I have to be slightly serious with the guys I got on my team." Tenten laughed at that and shook her head in response.

"Trust me, I understand. Let me guess, one's a complete spazoid, and the other has a real serious, brooding attitude." Sakura giggled honestly at that, and smiled as she took the clothes from Tenten.

"Yep, that sounds like the two of them, spot on. My name's Sakura by the way, we should meet up some time to hang out." Tenten smiled and nodded.

"I'd like that. It gets a little bit tiring spending all my time with my team some times. If you want, I can hold onto some of those outfits…they aren't selling really well right now, so you can even get them on sale still if you come back soon enough." Sakura smiled and picked the bags up off the floor, turning to leave.

"That sounds great! Thanks a lot! Well, I'll see you later Tenten!" Tenten smiled, and waved as the girl walked out the door.

xXxXxXx

Sakura made her way down the street, her arms laden with her bags of clothes. As she approached her house, Sakura felt her stomach clench in anticipation. 'Please let them be out…please let them be out…' Sakura carefully opened the door, and was relieved to see a house empty of people. The girl sighed in relief, and ran upstairs to her room quickly. She pulled her clothes out, and placed them in her closet, then silently made her way downstairs. She noticed that the door was still open, and as she reached to close it she heard footsteps coming from down the street.

'Please don't stop at the doorway…please don't stop at the doorway…' The footsteps stopped right in front of Sakura, even as she held the doorknob in her hand.

"So…you're finally back. And from the look of you, you didn't even put that much work into your first mission…well, those that don't work hard, don't deserve to eat. That's the house rule, isn't it?" Sakura tried to take a step back as a grizzled man walked into the house. He seemed to tower over the girl as he stood in the doorway.

"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION, DAMN IT!" The man's arm winged out and caught Sakura in the face, knocking her to the floor. The girl struggled to not show any emotion. Emotion was a weakness, and was met with more punishment. Despite her best efforts, a single tear trailed down her face.

"Are those tears? Did my little love tap hurt your feelings?" The man kicked the door closed behind him absently, turning a sneer on the girl. "You know, I never feel bad smacking around shit like you…so worthless…so little fight in you. It's no wonder you'll never make it anywhere as a kunoichi…" Sakura felt her hand tighten around the Blacksnake whip at her waist, and she slashed it in front of herself as the man approached to grab her. The whip snapped in front of her, and for a second the man looked at the whip in astonishment. By the time he'd shaken off the slight shock of the genjutsu, he was alone in the room.

"She's getting a spine after all…I'll have to inform Danzo-sama of this…" The grizzled man walked to the door behind him and closed it, locking it and settling down onto the couch. His face was a mask of nothingness as he settled into the couch, pulling out a small scroll to scribble notes in it.

Sakura held her knees to herself as she sat in her room, fighting hard to keep the sounds of her tears down to a minimum. 'I can't believe I did that…when mom finds out…she'll be so mad…' Trying not to think of the beating that was awaiting her, Sakura fought to smother her outbursts as she clutched her knees to her chest. 'I wish Sasuke was here…he knows how to shut out the emotions…maybe if I get close to him, I can learn how to do that too…' Sakura kept trying to keep her tears in check as she sat against the door, keeping an ear out for the approach of footsteps.

xXxXxXx

Naruto walked down the streets of Konoha, making his way further into the residential district. As he did, he noticed a smell coming from a small stand, and smiled when he saw that it was selling ramen. Before he entered, he heard a familiar voice from outside, and keened his ears to try to pick out who was there.

"I'm telling you, Mizuki, the kid picked up the echolocation jutsu like it was nothing! I swear, that Naruto kid is going to go farther than the Uchiha." Naruto felt himself begin to smile and feel his head inflate at that.

"I think you're seeing too much into it Iruka. The kid's chakra is astonishing, and his teamwork with his fox is impressive, but I'm still going to bet on the Sharingan." Naruto frowned at that, and entered the stand, a scowl set on his face. Kurama perked up from Naruto's shoulder, sniffing the air before jumping down onto the counter and yipping excitedly. "Speak of the devil himself…" Mizuki turned to see Naruto scowling at him as he sat at the bar.

"I heard what you said Mizuki-sensei, and I can't wait to beat the bastard just to prove Iruka-sensei right!" Kurama nipped at Naruto's hand playfully, getting the blonde to turn towards the offered menu.

"See, with that kind of spirit there's no way that Naruto won't end up being the best on his team!" Mizuki just rolled his eyes at the two, smiling lightly as he looked them over.

"You two are really something you know, acting like hopefulness will get you everywhere…" Mizuki paid for his meal before standing up to leave. Iruka waved the other man off and turned back to his meal.

"Well, what'll you have kid?" Naruto turned to see an older gentleman, with a smiling face and thin grew eyebrows looking at him kindly. He had a smile on his face, and was wearing an apron and a ramen chef hat, emblazoned with the shop logo.

"I'll have a large serving of miso ramen with a roasted pork filet!" The old man smiled and nodded to Naruto, and turned to get his order ready. "Hey, Iruka-sensei, sorry about that earlier, but Sasuke really has been annoying when he insists that he's better than me lately." Kurama barked in agreement, coming over to rest on Naruto's shoulder's once more.

"It's alright, it's normal for boys' your age to fight and bicker. Still, I hope you haven't let it get in the way of your teamwork." Naruto shook his head in the negative and gave Iruka a thumbs-up gesture.

"Nah, me and the duckbutt are getting along a lot better now…we sort of reached a truce of some sort, so we're more supportive of each other now." Iruka smiled at that, and noted with some surprise the bow on the boy's back.

"I'm glad to hear that…say, did you already start picking up some weapon's training?" Naruto grinned in response, running a hand behind his head along the bows back and idly checking the quiver at his waist.

"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei has us taking on weapons and some elemental training already. We just got back from a week of survival exercises with him, Hana-nee-chan, and Anko-sempai." Iruka turned a surprised eye on the bow, but nodded in approval.

"Well, since you're improving so quickly, how about I treat you to ramen this time?" The boy turned smiling eyes on Iruka, and nodded in response.

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei! You know, you always were one of the best for making sure that we all worked hard…I really appreciated the time you took with us at the academy." Iruka flushed slightly at the boy's compliment and leaned over to ruffle the boy's hair. Kurama yipped in surprise at the movement, but looked to agree with Iruka's contact none-the-less.

"Well then, here's to hoping that we get a new best customer out of this deal! Here you are, kid. The names Teuchi by the way!" Naruto smiled and shook hands with the man, giving an equal smile in return.

"My name is Inuzuka Naruto, and since Iruka-sensei eats here, I'm sure the food is great!" The old man smiled as he shook hands with the boy, and smiled as he watched the fox nip away some of the boy's food when he wasn't looking.

"Hey, Kurama, that was mine!" Naruto pouted at the fox as it wolfed down the bit of meat it had stolen away. "I was going to give you half you know, you could have waited…" That being said, Naruto picked out some more of the meat and tossed it to the fox.

"You know, if you come here, you'll be joining a long-line of patronage when it comes to this stand…it's served me, and several other famous ninja of Konoha in times past!" Naruto turned to Iruka with a puzzling look on his face.

"It's true kid, this stand has been around for close to twenty years, and we often get customers that hail from the elites of the village." Naruto felt his eye's go wide in appreciation, before smiling between the two men.

"In that case, I'm going to come here after every mission I go on, just to make sure that I can meet all these badass people you serve!" Naruto then turned and began to dig into his food, getting laughs from both of the older man.

xXxXxXx

Sasuke stared at the leaf in his fingertips, trying to glare the thing into submission. No matter how much he tried, he could not get this training down.

"_**All you have to do, is make the leaf turn black from heat, without lighting it on fire. The ability to both heat the leaf, and control the heating, is necessary for the proper mastery of fire jutsu."**_

Despite Kakashi's description making it sound easy, the training was anything but…for the last several hours, Sasuke had sat in his small apartment, the measly early payment for a bogus mission forgotten by his doorstep. 'I swear there has to be a faster way than this to gain power, but Kakashi did seem to be taking us seriously…' Sasuke refocused his effort on the leaf in his grasp, closing his eyes to enhance his focus. When he opened them again, he smirked at seeing a small corner of the leaf, near his fingers blacken.

As his smirk grew, he felt his focus slip, and suddenly the leaf burst into flame, causing Sasuke to drop the thing suddenly. 'Damn it…now I have to start over again…' Sighing, the last of the loyal Uchiha reached into a bag of leaves he had, and pulled the next one up to start with. 'Alright…now I just have to NOT burn a leaf…'

xXxXxXx

Sakura looked outside her window, noticing the light had started to fade. She had heard her adoptive father sneak into the bedroom on the first floor an hour ago, and most of her tears had stopped by now. With any luck, she could make it down the stairs and nick some food from the kitchen. Standing up, the girl held her breath, then released it in a slow, even process. 'Once we start taking missions, I can move out on my own…if only Sasuke would rescue me from this…he'd never get beat or hit, he's too good for that…' Sakura shook her head to clear it from her musings, turning to silently open the door to her room.

With practiced steps, the young girl made it down the stairs, and turned towards the small kitchen. This was the hardest part, as the kitchen was right next to her foster parent's room. Though they had never told her that they were her foster parents, Sakura knew…her time in the academy had taught her a little about genetics, and once she had learned enough to realize that her parents could not have passed on her strange hair and eye color, she had become very distrusting of her home condition.

As Sakura quietly entered the kitchen, she made sure to keep an eye constantly on the door to her foster parent's room, her senses honed for the slightest sound of movement. 'If I get caught, it's two nights without food…I have to be careful, as I won't get another pay day for the next two days…' Sakura moved forward, and placed her hand on the fridge, slowly opening it to look inside. There were a few large bowls of rice, and a couple things of cooked beef and chicken. Grabbing a couple of the things quickly, the girl closed the fridge silently and turned to leave the kitchen.

As she did, she heard footsteps approaching the door to the house, and quickly flushed herself into one of the shadows behind a plant in the living room. She hid herself with a slight henge and prayed. The footsteps continued to approach the door, and stopped in front of the house. The girl felt her breath catch in her throat.

The sound of a lighter was heard, and the footsteps moved off with the sound of a man taking a smoke. Sakura let out her breath slowly and evenly before turning and fleeing up the stairs.

xXxXxXx

The morning rolled over the leaf village early and bright. Sakura found herself rolling out of bed, and smiled as she pulled on her new wardrobe. 'That bastard didn't try anything last night either, so that means I'm not going to get into trouble for using the whip to run away…maybe it makes them think I'm more competent than I was before…' Sakura pulled the mesh armor over her torso and waist, feeling it settle onto her limbs heavily.

The kimono wrapped around her well, and before long her hair was up behind her head in a loose knot. Looking over herself, the girl nodded once, finding the new look was professional while still managing to be stylish. Sakura pulled the plated arm covers onto her arms, and then looked at herself in the mirror, where she smiled at the reflection. For the first time since she started her ninja training, she looked serious and determined about her career.

'Why did I even start the training in the beginning, before I decided to compete with Ino for Sasuke…' Sakura found herself looking in the mirror, feeling the pain of old memories pull at her psyche. Shaking herself harshly from the troubling thoughts, the girl strapped both of her whips to her waist before turning to leave. She pulled open the window near her bed, and then disabled the trap she had set on the outside. She reset it before turning to leave, jumping across the rooftops towards the Hokage tower.

'Maybe if I get my picture taken care of earlier in the day, I can spend some more time hanging out with Tenten this afternoon…' Sakura smiled at the thought and sprinted towards the Hokage tower.

xXxXxXx

Naruto yawned as he rolled out of bed and stretched. He grinned to himself as he scratched Kurama idly behind the ears. The affection caused the fox to lean into the care just a little bit, and the boy smiled at the reaction. Naruto lazily went about pulling his outfit on, turning to look at the empty bed of his brother. It hurt to admit that Kiba had gotten a C-Rank mission before him, but still…the boy had been a ninja just as long as him, and it was a C-Rank within the village, so he had no reason to worry.

'Still, I wanted to show off my bow to him…maybe get him to finally stop it with all that little brother crap…' Naruto frowned as he stood up and stretched, before going about his regular morning routine. Once he was finished, he brought himself to the kitchen table, yawning as he opened the fridge and pulled out some leftovers from the night before.

"So…the mighty return from their first week of ninja training…how was it?" Tsume walked into the kitchen, ruffling Naruto's hair and setting a bowl of food down for Kurama who jumped to the floor.

"It was really good mom! We got to practice all sorts of stuff, and Kakashi-sensei even gave us some jutsu to practice for the next little while!" Tsume frowned at this slightly and held out a hand in a demanding nature. Naruto sighed, and pulled the jutsu scroll out from his pocket.

In an instant, the Inuzuka Clan Head was looking over the jutsu listing, trying to figure out whether or not she should be mad at the man. After a couple of moments, and some nods, Tsume handed it back.

"I'm alright with you working on the wind bullet and wind shell, but leave off on the wind claws for a bit yet." She saw the boy frown at that and Tsume held up a hand to silence the coming crocodile tears. "The wind bullet and wind shell will give you a range attack and a basic weapon defense. If anyone closes with you, your Gatsuuga should be more than enough." Naruto frowned but nodded his agreement. Tsume smirked and ruffled his hair, before pulling down a cup from a cabinet above her.

"Hey mom, sis also wanted me to work on combining the Gatsuuga with my arrows…should I give that precedence over either of those two?" Tsume smirked at the question before pausing to give it some serious thought.

"Don't divert anything for it, but definitely make sure you're practicing combining wind chakra with the Gatsuuga when you fire the arrows…trust me, the results will be worth it." Naruto smiled at that, and Tsume gave the boy a grin before settling herself down at the table. "Kiba and Hana are going to be gone for the next couple of days, and I have a big mission coming up." Naruto frowned as he turned to look at his mom.

"So, I'm on my own for the next couple of days?" Tsume nodded at the boy who frowned at the sudden lack of companionship.

"Don't worry too much about it. I'll leave enough food for you and Kurama, and if you want I can get some others from the family to stop by and check in on you." Naruto shook his head at that and smiled up at his mom.

"I'll be alright, with Kurama here I'll be just fine." Naruto kept his voice steady, trying not to let the thought of a house to himself freak him out. "Besides, I have my nin-registration card picture today, so I have to look awesome for it!" Tsume smirked and cuffed the boy round the head in a caring manner.

"You brat, that was supposed to be in a week ago! Don't tell me that you missed getting it in on time because of that lazy sensei of yours!" Naruto chuckled as he finished his food before grabbing Kurama and ducking out the door.

"Fine, I won't tell you then. But I have to go make sure my picture is awesome for the nin-registration cards, for sure!" Naruto turned and jumped out the door, racing off to the tower.

"Yeah, he's turned out alright. I better get going too though, I'm due at the gate soon."

xXxXxXx

Naruto sat at the photo booth, waiting for the man to take the picture. "Are you sure you want to take the picture this way kid? Once I take it, there's no going back…"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure! Just take the damn thing!" Naruto growled out, focusing on making as feral a look as he could.

"As you wish…" The short man grumbled and bumbled behind a curtain, getting an old camera to work as he looked through the viewscope, "Just don't regret it. Okay, smile!" A camera flash later captured Naruto, with a transformed Kurama standing back to back. Both of them had a cruel grin on their faces, and their whisker marks were stretched to the extremes. The slit eyes, and red color made the boy look completely monstrous.

xXxXxXx

Hiruzen Sarutobi fought back a sigh as he looked at the image in front of him. 'Well…at least he wasn't wearing some crazy face paint or something…still, with a caption like that…' The third did sigh the second time, and he shot the boy a disgruntled look.

**In this picture are the handsome and devilish foxes of Konoha, Inuzuka Naruto and the Great Kurama!**

'With a title like that, and those eyes, there's no way that some of the more paranoid people won't start making guesses about what the boy might hold…not that I thought we could keep it a secret much longer…' Sarutobi took a draw on his pipe, and fixed the boy with a stronger look. 'Plus, from the way he's ignoring my disapproving glances, he'll probably refuse to retake it. Oh well, nothing ventured nothing gained.' Setting the pipe aside, the old man hardened his look on the boy, before clearing his throat slightly.

"Retake the photo." Naruto shot the old man a dirty look and huffed.

"And why should I do that? I know Kiba took his photo with Akamaru transformed, so why should I let him get all the fun!" Sarutobi drew back at that. The boy had a legitimate point, and countering it would be necessary if he was going to get the photo retaken.

"Your forehead protector's not anywhere in the picture." Naruto frowned at that, before noting that the old man was right. His forehead protector was located around his waist, and while Naruto was fairly sure that things like that were allowed, he still was slightly unsure on the rules.

"So, if I put the forehead protector on my arm and retook it, then it would be okay?" The third fought off sighing as he tried to figure out how to explain that a transformed Naruto just would not be alright in the Shinobi data-books.

As he was about to do so, a small creak echoed from outside the room. Turning in time to see a familiar skull cap of leather, the third heaved a small sigh in preparation. 'Here it comes…twenty in one day is a little ridiculous…'

"Fight me you old geezer!" A small boy, with a blunted rubber shuriken ran into the room. His eyes were beady, and he was missing a tooth that had obviously recently fallen out. His hair was sticking out of a small skull cap, and he had a large scarf wrapped around his neck.

Naruto felt himself stiffen as he took in the odd image of the boy, while he was trying to assess whether or not the kid was an actual threat. Just as Naruto was about to stand up, the boy fell to the floor, planting his face like turnip. 'That brat…can never be a threat to the Hokage…' As Naruto thought this a voice called out from outside the door.

"Oh no, not again! Ah! There you are, Honorable Grandson!" A tall jounin darted into the room. His eyes were set behind a pair of black shades, and he wore a standard all black shinobi outfit, with a leaf headband strapped around his forehead.

"Damn it! Who set a trap!" Naruto looked between the loud kid and the taller jounin, clearly lost as to what was going on at the moment.

"Are you alright? And there isn't a trap anywhere!" The older man adjusted his glasses storming into the room.

'Who the hell is this kid? He's really freaking annoying…' Naruto puzzled, trying to figure out just what was happening. Kurama at that point jumped down from Naruto's neck, and started growling at the boy.

"Hey, what's with that face, huh?" The kid on the floor jumped up and ran over towards Naruto, drawing the older jounin's stare.

'So, an Inuzuka huh? Just my luck, running into one of those mangy mutts…' The older Jounin's face held a look of utter disdain as he looked at Naruto.

"It must have been you who set the trap!" The kid came up and tried to grab Naruto to pull him down to his level, only for the larger boy to hoist him up by his scarf.

"I didn't set any trap, you tripped over your own two feet, you idiot!" Kurama barked in agreement at that, turning to growl at the larger jounin at the same time.

"Hey you Inuzuka mutt, let go of him right now! That's the Hokage's grandson!" Naruto turned his gaze from the kid he had in his hands to give the jounin a once over.

'Yeah, he looks like the obnoxious type that would look down on our clan…'

"Yeah, that's right! Go ahead and punch me!" The kid in Naruto's arm grit out, a look of anger set on his face. 'Now that he knows who I am, he won't dare hurt me! Heh, he's just like Ebisu-sensei and everyone else…' The kid was so lost in his own thoughts that he missed Naruto cock back an arm before smashing it down on top of his skull.

"If you're the grandson of the Hokage, then you really need to have some better manners beat into you, you idiot!" Ebisu blanched at the attack.

'No way! He just hit Konohamaru!' Before he could say anything he heard a sigh from the third.

"Ebisu…take the day off. I think my grandson here has had enough studying for today, so Naruto, I'm assigning you the solo mission of taking care of him for the day." Naruto turned to give him pleading eyes.

"But…But…I was going to train and stuff…" The Hokage gave the boy a questioning look, and held his registration page over a small trashcan near the side of his desk. "You'll really make me retake that if I don't do this, won't you?" The third nodded, to which Naruto let out a huge sigh in return, before turning to give the brat next to him a foul glare.

"Alright, come on kid, let's get out of here. I'm going to leave first, and your job is to try to sneak up on me, okay?" Naruto directed this to the small boy next to him who was still idly rubbing his head and sighed. 'If Kiba ever hears about this, he'll never let me live this down…' Kurama just barked idly before settling back atop Naruto's shoulders. As complacent as Kurama looked, it didn't stop the fox from growling slightly at Ebisu as they left.

xXxXxXx

Naruto groaned as he peeked a look behind him. As he did so, he made out the obvious form of Konohamaru, poorly hidden behind a sheet draped to match the woodwork of a nearby fence.

"Man you suck at this kid! Anyone could see through that!" Kurama yipped in agreement from atop the blonde boy's head.

"It's impressive that you can always see through my disguises…I guess the rumors about the Inuzuka are true!" Naruto fought back the urge to yell at the brat again.

'Just because I'm Inuzuka has nothing to do with this…The brat just plain sucks…' Naruto fought the urge down to yell once more as the kid approached him.

"Hey, I'll make you my leader! My boss!" Naruto frowned down at the boy, a puzzled look on his face. "And in exchange…" Naruto gave the boy a frowning looking once more, "Please teach me some awesome move so I can defeat my grandpa! Please boss!"

'Boss…I'd actually get to be in charge of someone for once…well…I do know that the Hokage reads those same books as Kakashi-sensei, so he might be a bit of a pervert…and it would get the kid to master the transformation jutsu, so…'

xXxXxXx

"Lord Hokage, are you sure it was wise to trust Konohamaru to that Inuzuka?" The Hokage merely chuckled at Ebisu before lighting his pipe once more.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it Ebisu. Besides, you looked like you needed a break anyways…" Ebisu frowned at the Hokage, looking like he wanted to say more. "That Inuzuka is also one of the best his clan has produced in years, and he even has the great Hatake Kakashi as his instructor…" Ebisu felt his blood run cold as he looked at the Hokage.

"Lord Hokage, Hatake-san might be a great warrior, but he has a number of personality traits that I wouldn't trust Konohamaru to not pick up!" The Hokage blinked at the man, asking him to continue. "He's a well-known pervert, and habitually tardy…what would it do to Konohamaru's image if he started to pick up those traits!" Before the Hokage could blink, Ebisu had worked himself into a tizzy over the various disreputable behaviors that his charge would acquire.

"Wait, it really won't be a…" The Hokage was left speaking to an empty room, "…problem." The third sighed and took a long drag on his pipe, idly waiting for the next team to come in for a mission request. 'Still, that is the twentieth attack in one day…and Ebisu has a point about Naruto being apprenticed to a pervert…hopefully Konohamaru won't pick up something incredibly stupid from the boy…'

Looking around briefly, the Hokage pulled out his crystal ball before he set it spinning to the hot springs of Konoha. 'Oh well, might as well enjoy a view or two while I wait for the next team…'

xXxXxXx

In a clearing in the middle of a wooded training ground, Sasuke sat, staring horribly at a leaf in his hands. He had taken his picture early in the day, and now he was spending the rest of his day off working on his elemental mastery of lightning. Thankfully, he had taken the picture before starting the training. His hair, while normally quite well coifed, was currently sticking up in numerous directions. He had on his normal attire of a blue overshirt that ended at the elbows with white arm bracers. It cuffed around his necked, and ended at his waist. The white shinobi shorts and long socks completed his look. Still, his hair was detracting from the view for the most part.

'Stupid training...' He'd decided to split his efforts between his two elements, training one on half the week and the other on the second half. He'd practice his jutsu that he had gathered so far on his off day of the week.

Currently, he had a leaf in his hand, and despite all of his great Uchiha rage and pride, he had yet to make the slightest bit of the leaf crinkle from the electrostatic discharge in his hand. As the boy sat there, he heard a bit of shouting come from a nearby area. Recognizing it as Naruto's voice, the boy perked up, deciding to take an interest in whatever his teammate was training.

As he rounded the corner, the voice became clearer and clearer. "ALRIGHT! NOW THE BASICS ARE 'BON KYU BON'! YOU GOT IT THIS TIME!" Sasuke felt his interest grow as he pulled aside the leaves in front of him, hearing another voice call out as he did so… "Right boss! I'll get it this time for sure! Here goes, TRANSFORMATION!" Naruto blinked as a sudden mist obscured the area before a huge wedgied ass of a female appeared in front of his eyes. Sasuke blinked in surprise before reeling back in horror.

'That…that was a girls butt! Just what are you teaching that poor kid, Naruto!' Sasuke decided that for the sake of his own sanity, he should go back to his damnable leaf, and leave the strange Inuzuka clan alone to its own devices. 'Still, I am totally asking him what the hell that was about later.'

"No, no, no, a million times no! I told you, the old man is a pervert, so you have to make the henge sexy! More slender, more beautiful, put the smoke in the right places, you know!"

'Definitely asking him about this one later…'

xXxXxXx

Ebisu sat atop one of the top trees in the village, scanning over the horizon. 'I'm an elite tutor of this village…I have trained several of the villages greatest shinobi and have come from a long line of helping raise future Hokage candidates…I will find any virus of disreputable behavior that attempts to affect my students and wipe it out!'

As he looked over the village, he spotted a flare of chakra from one of the training grounds and listened for the loud cry of Naruto's voice. "Aha! There they are!"

'If you learn shinobi skills from me, becoming Hokage is easy! I'm the number one shortcut for Konohamaru becoming the Hokage, and I will not let my charge down!' Ebisu lept through the treetops, racing towards the field.

xXxXxXx

Naruto took a pause from his drink, turning to give Konohamaru a questioning glance. "By the way, why are you going after your grandpa all the time?" Konohamaru stiffened at the question, setting his drink down for the moment. Naruto looked at the boy expectantly as he seemed to sink down further into a slight depression.

"Grandpa gave me the name Konohamaru, so I'm technically name after the village…" Konohamaru's voice hitched slightly at that point in time as he looked down towards the ground. "But even though my name should be really easy to remember, nobody ever calls me that." This brought a look of surprise to Naruto's face.

"When someone is talking about me, or calling me out on something, they never use my name. All they see is the 'Honorable Grandson'" The last phrase was spit out with a bit of venom in his voice.

"No one sees me as me…I'm sick of it. I'm going to get the Hokage title so everyone will finally acknowledge me." Naruto stiffened at that, clenching his teeth slightly, even as Kurama gently nuzzled against his cheek.

"I can kind of understand that." Konohamaru turned to look at Naruto in surprise. "I grew up, with Kiba always being the clan heir…I pushed really hard, so that I could be better than him in every way…and yet, the rest of our family still refers to him as the next great leader of our clan. Like just because I was born later, means that I can never get better than him…that's why I want to be Hokage, so I can prove my worth, to my clan, and to my family."

Konohamaru turned to give Naruto an appreciative smile, feeling the sincerity behind the boy's words.

"Still, you're an idiot if you think a little brat like you could ever become Hokage." Konohamaru turned betrayed eyes on Naruto, looking up at him with anger in his eyes. "Being Hokage isn't something a little brat could take…"

"What?" Konohamaru cried out, anger evident in his voice.

"It isn't kids play, you moron! If you want the Hokage title that bad then…" Naruto's voice drifted off, causing Konohamaru to visibly begin to shake in anger.

"Then what?" Naruto turned to smirk at the boy, his teeth splitting into a feral grin, matching one Kurama was sporting.

"If you want the Hokage title…Then beat me to it first!" Naruto's grin burned its way into Konohamaru's head, filling it with a desire to outdo the boy.

xXxXxXx

Iruka landed on the top of the Hokage tower, smiling as he took in the shape of his leader. "There you are Hokage-sama…you disappeared after the lunch crowd came in…we we're all wondering where you went to…" The Hokage turned and smiled lightly at Iruka.

"So, did Naruto and his team turn up for their registration?" The Hokage nodded to the man, turning to continue staring out over the village. "That's good. I lectured him last night about how if he ever wants to be the greatest Hokage, he needs to start handing paperwork in on time now." Iruka chuckled at his small joke, but was surprised to see the tension that had overtaken his leaders frame.

"As you know…the Hokage seat has always belonged to those who are related to the Senju clain in some way, or who have been trained by one of the legacies of the Hokage." The Third paused, hoping he was not coming across too harsh. Still, this had been weighing on his mind for some time, and needed to be said eventually.

"With the Nidaime, he was the blood relative of the Shodaime. With me, I was the student of the Nidaime. With the Yondaime, it was the connection that my student, Jiraiya afforded him that allowed him to claim the seat. And while the Inuzuka have served the Hokage faithfully over the years, they have never achieved a high place within the culture of the hidden village." The Third took a draw from his pipe again, wincing at his own realizations.

'Worse than that…the 4th sealed the Kyuubi in Naruto, making him the container for the nine tails fox…were the village to ever learn of this, the attitudes of the children, of the adults, everyone could turn against him…overnight he could become the village pariah, and Tsume might have to disown him to save face.'

Iruka came up to stand next to the Hokage, also looking out over the village. Despite his shock at the harsh words, the man had nodded in agreement before settling beside the older man. "Be that as it may, Naruto is full of surprises. He can often overcome the odds that others place upon him, allowing him to really shine as an outstanding shinobi. I think, no matter what problems get in his way, he will rise to the top and be just fine." The Hokage turned and smiled at the man, happy to see that some good had come from his predecessor's decision.

"Perhaps." The Hokage took a drag on his pipe as he looked over the afternoon sun of the village.

xXxXxXx

"I've finally found you two!" Ebisu cried out, his eyes tightening on Naruto viciously.

'Damn, what is this guy's problem…if he's got a beef with the Inuzuka, it really must not be my day.' Naruto squirmed under the gaze slightly, until Kurama nipped his ear and growled lowly at the man.

"Inuzuka-san, your services are no longer required. Now, let's go home young master." Ebisu landed in the clearing, looking over the two young boys disdainfully.

"No way! I'm going to defeat that old geezer with the move that Naruto taught me, so don't get in my way!" Konohamaru began gathering chakra around himself, a small maelstrom whipping up as he did so because of his anger.

"A Hokage must be well taught in every aspect of being a shinobi…You must master a thousand techniques, and then…Huh?" Ebisu cut himself off as he heard the cry of transformation, and watched as his young charge disappeared from his eyes.

"Take this! Sexy Jutsu!" Naruto face-palmed as the boy labeled the transformation technique for him. 'Still, not a bad name…maybe I'll have to steal that name since I taught it to the kid.'Ebisu for his part felt his jaw almost drop to the ground. The woman in front of him was absolutely stunning. It took every part of the man's considerable willpower to not break out into a nosebleed at the sight.

"What! It didn't work?" Konohamaru called out, trying to grasp why his flawless transformation had no effect.

"Wha…What a perverted skill! I'm a gentleman, such a dirty skill will not work on me! If you hang out with trash like him, you'll become stupid!" Ebisu pulled on the young boy's scarf, even as Konohamaru did his best to cling to a nearby tree-root.

"No way, I want to stay and learn with Naruto! He taught me way more useful stuff than you have so far in only one day!" Ebisu growled and pulled twice as hard on the boy's scarf.

"Just do what I say! I'm your easiest shortcut to becoming Hokage! Now let's go home!" Naruto suddenly appeared in front of Ebisu, a scowl on his face, and Kurama growling loud and low at the man.

"OI! Idiot! Pay attention to what just happened there! The kid just mastered a transformation jutsu, with a voice alteration! And I taught it to him in under a few hours!" Ebisu turned to give the boy a pausing look of curiosity. "Don't believe me, fine! Konohamaru, turn into this prick here so he can see that you actually learned something while working your ass off today!"

"Right boss! I'm on it!" Konohamaru focused his chakra, and looked carefully at his teacher. After a couple of seconds, he gathered the necessary energy, and then turned into a mirror image of his tutor.

Ebisu chuckled as he looked at his look-alike. 'The kid actually did get Konohamaru to learn an academy skill in one day…that is fairly impressive when you think about it.' Ebisu smiled and stuck his hands into his pockets. "Alright, I'll admit, you actually did do something fairly impressive here. Both of you." Konohamaru turned back into his normal self, panting slightly as he smiled up at Ebisu. "Even if it had to be a fairly perverted thing to start with…" Naruto flushed at that, scratching the back of his head absentmindedly.

"Look, I'd appreciate it if you kept this one to yourself. How about if you take the credit for teaching him the transformation, and none of us ever have to mention the sexy jutsu again, ok?" Ebisu smirked at the boy and his glasses glinted in a way that set Naruto on edge.

"I guess I can agree to that…but I still need to inform the Hokage that you invented a new jutsu today…one that I'm sure will go very well in your record book of original techniques." Naruto froze while looking at the man.

"You wouldn't?" As the man continued to grin, Naruto sighed in defeat, recognizing the village protocol. "You would, wouldn't you? Man this is going to be way too much of a pain in my ass, I can already tell…"

xXxXxXx

Back in the tower, the Hokage looked through his crystal ball and smiled down at Naruto. "Looks like he actually has someone recognizing some of his skills…well, that's at least a step in the right direction. Plus, I can note that he has a transformation skill, and likes to add transformations to his image to offset his opponents psychologically." The Hokage smiled as he took a draw on his pipe, complimenting himself on the usefulness of white lies in a ninja village. 'And maybe when I publish this in the data book with that ridiculous name, it will get Jiraiya interested in training the boy…lord knows that technique would have worked on me…'

xXxXxXx

"Thanks for all the help, boss! You even got my tutor to admit I did something right!" Konohamaru turned with bright eyes towards his tutor. "I really wanted to be acknowledged, and now I have the first step on that journey! With this it will be easy!" Kurama turned and nipped at the boy's leg, before Naruto smacked him on the head lightly.

"It's not that easy dummy!" Konohamaru turned to regard Naruto with a confused look on his face. "This is the Hokage title, the title of the greatest ninja in the village…many others are going for this title, and have dreams of their own. Even getting acknowledged the first time took years of work for me, and was incredibly difficult. So if you really want to go after this, you better prepare yourself first!" Konohamaru turned a confused look on the boy.

"Prepare myself?" Naruto nodded, feeling courage course through him as he spoke to the young boy.

"If you want an incredible title like Hokage, for which everyone will acknowledge you…There aren't going to be any shortcuts." Konohamaru stiffened as the words suddenly hit home to him.

"_**If you want the Hokage title, then beat me to it first!"**_

"Bah, stop lecturing me like you know everything." Konohamaru turned away from Naruto, trying to hide the tears that were starting to form near the corner of his eyes. "I'm not letting you be my boss anymore!" Konohamaru adjusted the goggles on his forehead, and fixed Naruto with a happy grin.

"From now on, we're rivals! Starting tomorrow I begin attending the academy! And one day, I'll fight with you for the title of Hokage!" Naruto smirked at the boy, feeling a smile pull at his cheeks.

"I'll be looking forward to it…Konohamaru." With that, Naruto gave the boy a final smile before he disappeared from the woods, leaving a grinning boy and a smiling tutor behind as he raced towards home. The setting sun showed Naruto that he had avoided a day of loneliness, and maybe even made a friend in the process.

xXxXxXx

Sakura skipped away from the Hokage tower, her picture taken in her new outfit leaving her looking remarkably badass. She was quite happy with her new image, and had even given the perverted camera-man a nose bleed when she posed with her whip in just the right way. _'Cha! If only Sasuke-kun were there to see it! That would've been perfect!' _Sakura shook off the thoughts of her alter-ego, proceeding down the stairs of the Hokage tower.

As she did, she came in sight of Tenten, who looked to be heading home for the day. Sakura ran up to the girl and tapped her on the shoulder.

"What is it?" Tenten turned viciously on the girl, before biting herself back. "Oh, sorry about that Sakura, I was really wound up from dealing with my team today, they make catching that damn cat such a chore every time." Sakura blinked in confusion, drawing a smile from the girl across from her. "Don't worry, you'll learn all about Tora-chan soon enough." Tenten took the moment to glance over Sakura's outfit and smiled approvingly.

"Now that is what I like to see! You're like a walking advertisement for my family's shop, you know that?" Sakura blinked and flushed at the praise. "Hey, as an apology for yelling at you, you want to come over and have dinner tonight? You could even stay over if you want!" Sakura brightened and nodded to the girl. The note she'd left her parents had said that she would be out for the next couple of days, training or staying with friends. Sakura had meant to use the time to try and patch up her relationship with Ino, but the girl was out for the next couple of days.

"_**Just remember Sakura. A lot of the women of this village will want a chance at becoming Mrs. Uchiha. When you look at it that way, the competition you get from Ino is nothing. It's not worth ending your friendship with her just to have an edge on one competitor when you have a whole village to contend with."**_

'Hana-sempai was right…I really do need to make amends, and the sooner the better. Still, one night out won't hurt things too much I think.' Sakura smiled at the girl as they turned to leave the tower. "Are you sure it's okay to have me over like this, I wouldn't want to impose…" Tenten shook her head and smiled at Sakura.

"Don't worry about it. Dad wants to see you work with that whip of yours anyways, he really sound interested in hearing that someone else was learning how to work with such an advanced weapon at our age." Sakura waved the girl off a bit, trying to deny the praise.

"Really, I'm just starting out with it, I have so far to go before I can even be said to be working with the thing." Tenten smiled at the girl, and the two fell into amiable conversation as they walked into the evening sunset.

xXxXxXx

Sasuke frowned at the leaf in his hand. 'A whole day…over a hundred leaves…and I still can't get more than a corner of the thing crinkled at all…this is the most frustrating training ever!' Sasuke turned, and felt his rage begin to boil. Luckily, he was on the Uchiha compound, and he turned towards one of the small rock quarries nearby before drawing up all the fire chakra he could. In a single moment of rage, he unleashed the largest fireball he could manage, and smiled as the landscape instantly heated to a crisp.

"Hn." Sasuke turned to walk back towards his house, smiling slightly at the fact that he had gotten to burn _something_ today. 'Just imagine it's a pit full of Kakashi's…and leaves…lots and lots of leaves.'

xXxXxXx

OMAKE! (THIS IS IN NO WAY PART OF THE ACTUAL STORY)

Sasuke stared at the bag of leaves that Kakashi-sensei had given him. They seemed different from the normal tree leaves that grew nearby.

"_**Now, you've been telling me that you've been having some trouble not getting angry when practicing the fire elemental control, right?" Sasuke nodded at the man, who fished around in one of his drawers at his apartment. "Ah, here they are. These leaves will help you maintain a more…uhm, relaxed mood while you practice, but you might need to focus a bit more than usual." **_

"_**Whatever, so long as they help me train I don't care." Sasuke snatched the bag and tossed over the money that Kakashi had requested.**_

As Sasuke stared at the leaf, he growled out a bit as he felt the leaf start to burn. 'Man, this stuff seems to light even easier than the other ones!' Still, Sasuke took a deep breath and tried to calm himself, but coughed a bit on the smoke from the leaves. 'Damn, these things mess with your head a bit…I can see what Kakashi meant about having to focus more…'

xXxXxXx

Sasuke stumbled through the streets a bit, trying to figure out which way was up. He'd been working with those awesome leaves of Kakashi's for several hours, and just couldn't stand to be mad at the man anymore. In fact, despite having legitimate reasons to, at least in his mind, Sasuke couldn't be mad at anyone right now.

As he turned down the street, he saw Naruto sitting at a random ramen bar, a bowl in his hand as he talked loudly to Iruka-sensei. Despite how this sort of action would normally annoy the Uchiha, he smiled when he saw the blonde, and ran up and hugged him around the neck. Or tried to…he grabbed what he thought was Naruto, but ended up missing and face planting into the hot bowl of ramen.

Despite the heat, the Uchiha inhaled quickly, and found he loved the taste of whatever it was the blonde had. "Hey, barkeep! Keep 'em coming! I've got a clan's worth of money to spend, and everyone here gets to eat free today!" The old man blinked, before smiling and nodding to the boy in agreement.

"Um…Sasuke, you okay man? You smell kind of funny?" Sasuke shook his head and smiled at the normally annoying Inuzuka.

"Dude, I've never been better! I found out a great secret though, you have to come try it with me! These awesome leaves Kakashi gave me are way more fun to burn than not to burn!" Naruto stared at his friend, and shook his head, just happy to have a free ramen meal out of the deal.

xXxXxXx

Sasuke woke up the next morning, feeling a little strange and with a large krik in his neck. He realized that he had fallen asleep at the ramen bar, and had even ordered a couple of drinks to split with Naruto since they were officially ninja, and old enough to drink by that standard. 'Damn…remind me to never, ever challenge an Inuzuka to a drinking contest…' Sasuke looked up to see an old man give him a strange disapproving look.

"Here's your bill kid…you can write a check if you need to…" Sasuke looked at the astronomical figure, and felt his rage heighten higher and higher.

'I'm going to kill Kakashi, and then strangle Naruto…' Teuchi felt himself slink back away from an Uchiha heir that seemed to be radiating a rather large killing intent. Just before he left though, he saw a bag of leaves fall to the ground next to him, and it was signed by Kakashi.

"_**Next time, don't mix alcohol with these…since I forgot to mention that, this bag is on the house."**_ Sasuke frowned at the note, and the bag, and shrugged. He really didn't have anything better to do for the day, and this sure beat the hell out of being emo for a change.

xXxXxXx

Alright, there's the end to that chapter. Sorry for the Omake, I've just had that idea in the back of my head for the longest time, and it was dying to get out and about. Other than that, I hope this satisfied at least some of those readers who wanted things to move a bit more slowly. But, I did still manage to introduce Konohamaru, deal with Ebisu not having a reason to straight up hate on Naruto, and get some Iruka/Naruto interaction going. Before any questions get asked, there will be no Yuri between Tenten and Sakura, though their budding friendship does leave open a number of possibilities for the future of my story.

As for the fans out there leaving the positive reviews, I just want to say once more, THANK YOU! You really keep me going, and I need the positive notes at times. Thanks for the support, and I hope to have all of you back for more next chapter. As I'm loosely basing this on the manga, updates should be more frequent and easier to work out, so expect faster updates for this than my other stories.

That being said, until next time, READ AND REVIEW!


	5. Chapter 5: Hound Dog

Hey everybody! I have yet to receive nasty comments for the last chapter, but I have received some good constructive criticism, so I'm going to respond to that too! I really appreciate the positive reviews that have been left over the last little while, so I feel it appropriate that I give shout outs to the right crowds.

First up, PenguinX! You dear sir or madam have given good comments that have helped me guide the story thus far, and I feel it only right that I share some of my personal response to you with the rest of the crowd! To begin with, I realize that Naruto's has had too good of a life to really bond with some of the harsher characters in the story…but he's getting his growing up act in the land of waves and in the added arc before the Chuunin exams. Also, though he seems like a secondary character when held up to Sasuke and Sakura at the moment, well, the boy has not had much reason to shine yet. He will soon. That being said, keep in mind that no matter how much the boy shines, if he is ever disowned it will still be a long time before he can safely stay the hands of professional assassins from Iwa or other locations. Long road ahead of the boy.

Sakura also will be having repercussions of training her Mokuton. Not saying what at the moment, but it will be changing her overall character background before the end of it. Also, she will still be limited by her overall chakra potential. That shit's kind of permanent, so she won't be pulling out even Yamato level Wood Techniques, let alone Hashirama. And yeah, her parents are kind of horrible. I wanted a reason for her to like all of those terrible things about Sasuke that she likes in the beginning, so I gave her a reason to and explained some of Danzo's interference with her life.

Welp, now that that's out of the way, I just want to give one final thanks to the other various positive reviews out there! Thanks you guys!

Here we go! I own nothing but the original stuff!

xXxXxXx

Naruto sat atop a bridge post, staring idly at the leaf in his hand. He had tried working on it, and working on it, and working on it the night before, and after a week he could only get the smallest of nicks in the damned thing. 'I wonder how ol' duckbutt is doing?' Naruto turned to look over his shoulder at the Uchiha, who had a slightly annoyed look on his face as a leaf began to turn black at the bottom most fringe. 'Not much better it looks like…' Naruto shrugged and jumped up from his seat on the post to go and stand next to Sasuke.

"You getting the feeling that Kakashi-sensei wasn't kidding when he said that fifteen minutes late was early?" Sasuke ignored the question mostly, grunting an affirmative response to his teammate.

"I mean, seriously, how does someone get to be a jounin and have his punctuality problems?" Another grunt was all Naruto got for his troubles.

"You are an amazing conversationalist, you know that?" Naruto turned away before he heard the next grunt as his ears began to pick up something. Kurama perked up as well and turned to look over the boy's shoulder.

"Hey you guys, you got here before me!" Naruto turned to see Sakura in her new outfit, and felt his jaw drop slightly. "Oh, you're both working on the elemental training huh? I was going to do that, but I got caught up hanging out with a new friend." Naruto just nodded slightly, trying to make his mind process the new, highly attractive teammate he found himself with.

"Hey…Sasuke…you seeing what I'm seeing?" Sasuke shot the boy an angry look before turning to look at Sakura. As he did, he felt his own eyes widen appreciatively and his fingers start to get hot. Really hot… "Um…you're burning up there man…" Sasuke look down and cursed as he tossed the leaf to the side, trying to keep his fingers from getting too singed.

"So, I look better with this?" Sakura looked at the two boys and flushed a bit. Both of them gave her a nod, and she smiled lightly at the compliment. _'CHA! Take that Ino-pig, totally got the two class hunks to give me a compliment!' _

"Anyways, welcome to the great waiting party! Kakashi-sensei's not here yet, and he's supposed to be here before his subordinates…" Sakura turned and gave the boy a confused look.

"But teams are supposed to meet for missions at eight in the morning right? We're still a few minutes early, so we might as well get in some elemental manipulation training…" Naruto groaned but nodded at the girl.

"Still, it's such a pain having to wait for a lazy ass like him…" Naruto turned and pulled another leaf out of his pocket before balancing it on his palm. "I hope he's not too late though, I want to get this lame mission out of the way…"

xXxXxXx

Three hours later, Naruto was gripping his stomach in mild hunger while staring angrily at his fourteenth attempt for the day. The nick in the corner had continued to grow only marginally, perhaps a hairs breadth or two for each effort. Looking up at the fast approaching noon sun, Naruto growled and crushed the leaf in his hand. "Where the hell is that bastard of a sensei!" Naruto shouted up at the sky, feeling Kurama stir from his spot on the ground.

"Oh, hey guys! I got lost on the road of life again…" Kakashi landed in the middle of the group, and jumped to the side as an angry Kurama nipped at his ankle.

"YOU LIAR!" Sakura and Naruto roared at the man, Kurama yipping in agreement. Sasuke for his part gave the man a disapproving look.

'heheh, guess that day off helped a little bit. I didn't really get attacked that time…' Kakashi straightened and pulled his favorite book from out of his pocket. "Well, let's see if we can get headed to the tower. I'll show you guys the records room, and then if you want I can go and grab food for lunch?" Kakashi turned to see impassive stares landing upon him from every direction.

"If we sent you to get food for lunch, it would arrive in time for dinner…" Sakura's tone was even and condescending, and Kakashi almost felt himself shrink at her words.

"Heheh, well, I guess we could send one of the others…" Kakashi turned towards Naruto hopefully.

Naruto turned and barked a few orders to his partner Kurama. Kurama opened one eye blearily and gave him a few sharp yips in return. Naruto rolled his eyes, growled, and shot back a couple more comments, getting eyebrow raises from his teammates.

The fox climbed to its feet, gave Naruto a disapproving look, and then Naruto put his hands in the transformation sign. A second later, a carbon copy of Naruto stood next to him, glaring slightly.

"Kurama is going to run home to the Inuzuka compound and bring us back some food. He'll be able to find us in the tower by scent." Kakashi blinked in surprise before nodding at the boy.

"Come on, it's this way. We might as well get started on this, it is going to be a long week of paperwork…" Sasuke almost felt himself miss a step as he stared at the back of Kakashi's head.

"We'll get done with the work around five for the day, and then do some team training…I'll probably meet up with you guys around here at the same time tomorrow, so feel free to train in the morning." Kakashi continued talking as he went, missing the fact that Sasuke had just flushed with anger before calming precipitously.

"Oh, and Sakura, I like the new outfit. Very Anko-shic!" Kakashi gave the girl an eye smile with a thumbs up, which made the girl blink in surprise a bit before blushing slightly.

xXxXxXx

"Seriously, how many ninja does this village even have?" Naruto was getting frustrated as he moved another correctly organized stack over and handed it to Sakura. "We've been at this for hours, and yet there's only a small dent in the paperwork filing…" Sakura shook her head at Naruto and flicked him lightly on the head.

"Stop complaining…besides, we get to see who passed and who failed…" Naruto rubbed at the spot on his head, and looked over at Kurama who was sleeping on the top of the desk in the room.

"I don't care who passed or failed, as I'm just going to have to get better than all of them eventually anyways…" Sasuke shook his head at Naruto and Sakura as he flipped through more of the pages. His hands came to rest on one though, and he recoiled harshly at it.

"You guys…should come take a look at this team…" Sasuke's voice seemed to be full of dread as he stared at a sheet of paper, trembling in slight fear. 'There's no way that a genin like that can be real…'

"What is it Sasuke-kun?" Sakura approached the boy, peering over his shoulder at the paper. As soon as her eyes hit the paper, she felt like she wanted to rip them out.

"HOLY SHIT! Those eyebrows are huge!" Naruto's outburst had Sakura and Sasuke nodding their heads in unison. "And that outfit…those leg warmers! Are they allowing cloning in this village?" Naruto felt his eyes bug out of his head as he stared at the infamous 'Green Beast of Konoha'.

"What are you all looking at?" Kakashi walked into the room, surprised to see all three of his genin on a break as they looked over a single team roster. As his eyes glanced over it, Kakashi began to chuckle lightly as he looked at the sheet.

"What's so funny Kakashi-sensei? This guy's the biggest freak show I've ever seen!" Naruto couldn't tear his eyes from the page, and Sakura and Sasuke both looked highly perturbed.

"That…would be the team of my eternal rival, Maito Gai. The only man in the village besides the Hokage I would admit is stronger than me…" Naruto finally tore away his eyes from the page to look Kakashi squarely in the eye.

"Stronger than you? But, I thought you were like a village legend or something?" Kakashi sighed and set down his pile of paperwork.

'Oh well, story time might as well be used as a minor break before I release them for the day…' Kakashi straightened before sitting down on a patch of the non-paper covered ground. "Gai and I go way back…that man and I grew up around the same time, and he always said he would be better than me using Taijutsu alone." Sasuke scoffed at that, having also turned away from the paper.

"How'd that work out for him when you got the Sharingan? He still able to beat you with Taijutsu alone when you can see all his moves coming?" Kakashi turned to the boy and smiled at him lightly.

"Yes. He does so regularly when we spar." Sasuke felt his eyes go wide at that, and then clenched his jaw tightly. "It's because he understands the weakness of the Sharingan, and has trained in how to fight it." Sasuke's mouth went dry at this statement though, and he turned interested eyes towards his teacher.

"This is probably breaching some codes of friendship, but since you look so interested I'll let you all in on the secret." Sakura had also put the paper down at this point, and they all were looking at Kakashi intently. 'Ah, it'll be years before I have to worry about any of them developing moves like this anyways…'

"The great weakness to the Sharingan…is that you can't block what's faster than you." Sasuke blinked in confusion, before staring at the team roster that listed the man's speed.

'A rating of 5 in speed…with notes on being able to double or triple it at will…' Sasuke flicked mentally back to his own chart, and realized that he only came in at half the original value. Wincing, Sasuke turned back to look at Kakashi. "And the way to combat the Sharingan?" Kakashi blinked at the boy in surprise, before glancing at the other room's occupants. "I don't care if you tell them…these two are my teammates now, so I don't think they'll turn on me." Kakashi shrugged in acceptance, smiling to himself lightly.

"Well, the way to combat the Sharingan, is to fight the person by watching only their feet." Sasuke felt his disbelief at the strange ninja grow slightly, and he stared at the chart more closely.

"Kakashi-sensei…would it be possible if, for training today, we practiced with Gai's team?" Kakashi blinked in surprise at the request from Sasuke, but then paused to give it some thought.

'While it is true that Gai is a weapon's specialist, I don't know if I want to bother with getting our teams to know each other…it could just be a real headache in the end. Still…it would give them a chance to see what an experienced team is like…' Kakashi paused in his thinking to see that his team was looking at him intently and the man sighed. "I guess I can see if we can join them for their evening training sessions…it should be interesting since the last rookie of the year and kunoichi hopeful are on that team." Sasuke and Sakura smirked at that, and Naruto huffed in the background.

"Just because I'm second best to a damn showoff and a brainiac doesn't mean I should get short-listed!" Kakashi shook his head at the boy and patted him on the head as he stood.

"Don't let it get to you Naruto…especially since I think last year's dead last could probably beat Sasuke in a straight up fight." Naruto and Sasuke both blinked in surprise at Kakashi.

"He doesn't mean that, does he?" Naruto turned to Sasuke, giving the boy a slightly nervous look.

"I don't know. But meeting that team is sounding more and more interesting as I think of it." Sasuke had an eager glint in his eyes as he turned back to glance over the team roster once more.

xXxXxXx

Kakashi sighed as he put away the last dossier for the day. There had been so many files that his eyes were starting to hurt. He then remembered his promise to introduce his team to Gai and felt himself wince mentally. 'That man will hurt my eyes more than all these files put together I think…well, might as well get the rest of them and get this over with now…' Kakashi straightened from the drawer he was at and headed back out to his team.

"There you are! We finished the day's filing about a half hour ago, what took you so long?" Naruto jumped up from the desk as Kakashi walked into the room, tapping his foot impatiently as he did. Sasuke looked up from the leaf in his hand, and Sakura stretched while sitting next to an idly sleeping Kurama.

"Sorry about that…I got called away to help this cat out a tree you see…" Naruto and Sakura huffed disbelievingly at him, and even Sasuke rolled his eyes. 'Man, they really do not like this whole waiting thing I guess…' Kakashi sighed, and pulled his book out of his pocket. "Alright then, follow me and I'll show you to the training ground where we can meet them at…"

Kakashi leapt out of the nearby window to the briefing room, surprising his young charges who quickly followed after him. "Using the window instead of the door…I have to remember that for the future…" Naruto shrugged to himself as he took off after Kakashi. A couple minutes later, the four of them landed in a training ground where they heard the sounds of hundreds of weapons being thrown, and loud grunts of exertion.

"OI! Gai! I brought my team around to train with yours!" Kakashi called out, hoping that they had interrupted at a good time. There was a green blur, and suddenly a man stood in front of Kakashi, balanced perfectly on his hands. A man whose image would haunt Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto for years.

"AH! Kakashi, my hip eternal rival! It warms my heart to know that you decided that your charges needed my help in fanning their youthful flames!" A tall man wearing a flak-jacket, a green jumpsuit, and orange leg warmers walked closer into the clearing on his hands. His hair was in a bowl cut of straight black, with a wide grin on his face that glinted in the evening sun.

"So, tell me! What brings them to my training ground of youthful exuberance this fine day!" Naruto and Kurama both winced at the man's loud voice.

"Well, why don't I introduce them, and then explain why I brought them over individually." Gai managed to shrug in a handstand position, freaking out Kakashi's squad even more in the process.

'This guy…has more muscle than anyone I've ever met…I think I saw a tooth flex at me…' Naruto thought to himself, trying to keep himself from making any loud outbursts.

"This one here is Naruto," Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's hair and ruffled it lightly. "He needs work on target practice, and hitting a moving target while dodging." Gai seemed to nod at this, realizing immediately who to partner the boy with. "This one is Sakura," Kakashi's hand turned and patted the girl on the head, "She needs work with using Genjutsu against opponents who are good at escaping them. And finally we have Sasuke, who needs to work on getting his speed up so he can fight stronger opponents." Gaid nodded at the last bit, a grin splitting his face.

"YOSH! We shall match the fires of this rookie of the year against my genius of hard work! LEE! Get over here!" A green blur burst into the clearing, and Naruto and Sakura had to cover their hands with their mouths. 'HOLY CRAP! It _is_ a clone!'

"GAI-SENSEI! What will you have me do next for training? Will it be one thousand pushups? Or a thousand pullups? Or maybe both?" Gai turned and drilled an elbow on top of the boy's head, making Sakura and Naruto blanch at the violent action.

"Lee, pay attention! We have guests here today, and they will be training with you and your comrades!" Lee felt his eyes go wide, and he turned to look over the group of genin. As he did, his eyes passed over Naruto, and then hardened on Sasuke for a moment. The two boys had a spark fly between them as they glared the other down.

Finally, Lee broke contact with Sasuke and turned his gaze to Sakura. As he did, his eyes went wide, and Sakura felt a chill go up her spine. "I promise to help you train at all times, but please do not make me harm a beautiful flower such as yourself." Lee said, smiling and giving Sakura a creepy thumbs up.

'Did…did he just come onto me…' Sakura blushed lightly and blinked at the boy. Then she felt herself flush with a righteous anger. "Who are you saying needs protection, eh eyebrows?" Sakura yelled at the boy, reaching for the whip on her hip.

"I'm sorry! I meant no offense! I'm really being honest when I say you are beautiful…" At this, Lee blew a kiss at the girl, only for her to theatrically dodge to the side behind Sasuke.

"Hey, don't get me involved in this…" Sasuke shot an annoyed look at Sakura as he spoke in an even tone to her.

"A lady turns to you for protection and you turn her away! You are most unyouthful with your uncaring, hip attitude!" Lee turned to Gai with a fire in his eyes. "Gai-sensei, please let me spend my time remaining today sparring with Uchiha-san! He obviously needs lessons in the youthful treatment of ladies!" Gai turned and smiled mischievously at Kakashi, who merely shrugged in acceptance.

"Alright, but don't go overboard Lee! Show the young Uchiha the value of hard work!" Gai gave Lee a thumbs up, and the boy turned to him with theatrical eyes brimming with tears.

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

The two muscular man reached for each other, embracing on a seeming sunset at a beach. Kakashi had buried his face in his book to dodge the ocular travesty, and snickered as he heard the comments of his team that were suffering under the effects.

"That can't be real…Kurama, flush my system so I don't see it…" Naruto blinked, trying to see through the illusion.

Sasuke had his eyes open and twitching slightly. 'I have to fight this guy…God really hates me today…'

Sakura just stared in travesty at the image. There was no seeming genjutsu…but still, she knew there had to be some sort of trick. 'Please let it stop…dear lord, make it stop!' The man-hugging on the beach was almost too much for the girl.

"Hey, will you two give it a rest, you're freaking out our guests." Tenten landed in the clearing next to the bro-love and looked over Team Seven. "Oh, hey Sakura, how are you doing? I take it this is your group then?" Sakura nodded to the girl, and this drew questioning looks from both Sasuke and Naruto. As Tenten looked over the group, she found her eyes land on Sasuke. 'Ooh…hottie.'

"Yeah, this is Sasuke and this is Naruto and Kurama. Sasuke's the brooder and Naruto's the loudmouth." Both boys blinked at their nicknames and turned to scowl at the girl. "What, it's true and you both know it." They continued to scowl at her, then turned and looked each other in the eye before turning away from each other in distaste.

"Man, I swear…this team dynamic has to happen on almost every team…" Tenten sighed, and took a few more furtive glances at the Uchiha. 'Still, the brooder's always do seem to be the cuter ones…' Her musings were interrupted by the movement of branches to her right as a boy with long brown hair and pale eyes and skin entered the clearing. He had on a white jacket with several straps covering his torso, a leaf headband around his head, and black cargo shorts and shinobi sandals. 'Then again, my brooder is cuter…'

"Ah! Neji, there you are! Well, now that you are all here I have a youthful surprise for the three of you! You get to train with my eternal rival's team today!" Neji looked over the group of new comers and felt his eyes freeze on Sasuke.

"Why would I be interested in training with some fresh out of the academy losers…" Neji's comment drew hard stares from all three of the genin. 'Seems like they all have some spine to them at least…it might be interesting.'

"Come on Neji! We might as well, it's not like we were going to do anything special for training today!" Tenten surprised Neji by being adamant about the exercise for once. 'Maybe I'll get a chance to work with the new hottie…'

"That's the spirit Tenten! Alright, for team divisions, I'm going to have Sasuke work with Lee, Sakura work with Neji," The two genin looked in surprise at the other, Neji frowning and Sakura smiling lightly, "And Naruto work with Tenten!" Tenten grimaced at her bad luck, but shrugged anyways.

"You all know what you need to work on, so get to it." Kakashi said lazily, flipping a page in his book.

"Come now Kakashi, that cool and hip attitude won't inspire any of them to get serious! We need to make the power of their youth explode!" Gai shouted at his friend, pausing only to realize that the students had already cleared out.

"They already left…how youthful of them…" Gai turned to hear Kakashi chuckling behind him. "But I'll not hear that it is because of your cool and hip attitude!" Kakashi just continued to laugh, before flipping another page in his book.

xXxXxXx

"So, how long have you been working with that bow of yours?" Tenten asked, rolling to the side of another arrow shot. She took the moment to pull out a kunai and wing it at Naruto.

Naruto dodged and pulled out another arrow, taking aim again with his weapon. "Um, about a week I think." Naruto watched as his shot went wide again, grimacing in frustration. He then ducked as another kunai went flying past his head.

"Huh, your aim is actually pretty good for only having had it for a week…I think you might have a talent for using that thing, you know?" Naruto blushed at the praise, then gasped as a kunai went just past his face, slicing it lightly.

"OI! Watch it with those things, you nearly carved my eye out with that last one!" Tenten just chuckled and smiled at the boy.

"Sorry, not used to aiming at such short targets, I was shooting for your voicebox…" Tenten watched as the boy flushed with anger before letting off three shots in rapid succession. Tenten evaded them like they were nothing and threw three shuriken of her own back at Naruto, a grin flush on her face.

xXxXxXx

"So…your teammate, the Uchiha, he was your classes rookie of the year?" Neji had his Byakugan active as he sparred with the girl. In all honesty, he was taking it easy on her, but the boy didn't necessarily mind. The light exercise was a nice change from Gai's usual torture, and it allowed him the chance to appreciate some eye-candy.

"Yeah, and my other teammate, Naruto, is actually the second-best shinobi." Sakura cracked her whip in front of Neji, trying once more to ensnare him with her genjutsu. Neji didn't even blink as he shook of the effects, and his Byakugan quickly warned him of the incoming attack to his right. He turned to attack, and then frowned as a replacement switched with the girl.

Neji looked down just in time to see a whip speed out from the side and latch onto his leg. Sakura yanked him forward, but Neji dove with the movement, hoping to catch her off-guard. Sakura however had gotten used to the maneuver, as it was one of Naruto's favorite, and rolled with his dive, allowing her to end up straddling the boy.

"So…Sorry about that. One of my teammates likes that maneuver, so I was expecting it." Neji merely nodded, flushing lightly at his contact with the girl. Still, he accepted her outstretched hand as he was pulled to his feet.

"No, that's quite alright. It was a good maneuver on your part. If we had been fighting for real, I would have been fated to lose for taking you too lightly." Sakura blinked at the statement, trying to determine if it was a compliment or an insult.

"Thanks…I think. Anyways, let's get back to training." Sakura cracked her whip once more, and the two teens disappeared in a blur of leaves.

xXxXxXx

Sasuke and Lee stared at each, unblinking in the open grassy field. A wind tussled through their hair, and their eyes tightened in preparation for the match.

"My full name is Rock Lee," Lee pointed at Sasuke, his eyes hard as agates. "When you want to learn someone else's name, you introduce yourself first, right?"

"Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke kept his voice even, his hands reaching for his kunai holster already. "Heh, so you already know what you're up against, right?" Lee's gaze tightened on the boy as he dropped into a fighting stance.

"I still want to fight you…to test my techniques against the offspring of a clan of genius ninja." Lee smiled as he stared down Sasuke, ready for the fight to begin. 'Plus…there's the beauty of that fair maiden on the line…'

"Challenging me knowing the Uchiha name? Frankly, you're a fool…" Sasuke stared hard at the boy, feeling the tension build, and loving the sensation. "You're about to learn what this name means…bushy brows."

"Please try…I'll prove myself to Gai-sensei by defeating you." Sasuke grimaced at the boy, then smirked slightly.

"Sounds fun…why don't we just see who wins." Sasuke charged at the boy, keeping his eyes open as he pulled a kunai from his pouch. Lee didn't even move a muscle, but one could tell that his body was becoming more relaxed as the man approached.

'He's coming…though he's nowhere near as fast as Neji…I can handle this level of speed.' Lee shifted his body quickly, torqueing it in mid-air to prepare a powerful kick to Sasuke's middle section. "Leaf Hurricane!" Sasuke ducked to avoid the incoming kick, just barely moving in time.

'Shit, he's too fast.' Sasuke barely noticed a secondary kick approaching from his side. 'Damn, no time to dodge, have to block it.' Sasuke brought his guard up, prepared to stop the coming assault. Sasuke felt his eyes widen in pain as the blow struck him across the cheek and he was sent spinning back. 'How did he slip my guard? Genjutsu? Ninjutsu?'

Sasuke turned and stared at his opponent, trying to figure out a way around the boy's speed. He climbed to his feet, glaring at his opponent. 'If I had the Sharingan, I could figure out what he's doing…I could be ready for whatever move he's using.' Sasuke grunted, charging in again, trying to keep his eyes on Lee's body.

Before he could get there, he saw a blur, and then felt an impact on his jaw that sent him flying straight into the air. A second later, Lee was above him, and an axe kick was coming towards his face. Sasuke rolled in mid-air, grabbed Lee's foot as it swept past and flung himself above the boy.

Lee laughed as he shifted to block Sasuke's incoming hammer fist, grinning further as the boy looked on enraged. "So this is what it is like to fight a genius prodigy…I have to say, it's quite the thrill…still, you should know that I'm holding back." Sasuke blinked in surprise at the boy as they reached the ground and jumped apart.

"Don't hold back against me. I need to fight strong opponents, to achieve my goals in life. If you hold back, I can never make it there." Lee smiled at Sasuke, despite the boy's stony face.

"If I stop holding back, I could seriously hurt you…however, if you want, I can tell you how you can gain the same speed as me…" Sasuke paused and regarded the boy oddly, before the tiniest of smiles spread across his face. "All you have to do, is work hard, until you can wear these every day." Lee reached down and removed weights from underneath his leggings.

Sasuke frowned at the odd leg weights. He could tell they were heavy, but their exact weight was a mystery to him.

"Ah! That is much better!" Lee tossed the weights over his shoulder, and Sasuke blanched when they impacted harshly with the ground and sent up a small dust clod.

Before Sasuke could recover, Lee had his hand placed firmly on Sasuke's stomach. The boy had covered thirty feet in the blink of an eye, and Sasuke had seen nothing. "Let me show you…the greatness of speed."

Sasuke felt himself flying backwards, a huge pressure placed on his stomach before he collided limply with a tree. 'He just shoved me…that much speed and power, from a simple shove…' Sasuke looked up and glared at Lee. 'I have to get stronger…if he is this much stronger without any ninjutsu or genjutsu, then I truly must get stronger.'

xXxXxXx

Kakashi sighed as he leaned back to recline in the tree. He and Gai were watching the fight between Lee and Sasuke. "Sasuke still has a lot to learn about not rushing into situations as well it seems…both he and Naruto tend to do that quite often." Gai chuckled at Kakashi and shook his head.

"It's to be expected Kakashi. They are only genin, give them a year of polish and they'll shape up just fine." Kakashi sighed and pulled his infamous orange book out of his pocket.

"I wish I could give them that year…but Sasuke is a special case, and the council is asking me to make sure his training goes well since he is on such a powerful starting team." Kakashi grimaced internally at the small lie to his friend. 'The Sandaime is also riding me to make sure that Naruto and Sakura progress quickly…I hate having to balance between the three of them so precariously though.'

Gai didn't seem to notice the omission, and turned to pat his friend on the shoulder. "Don't let it get to you. They'll turn out fine in the end. From what I've seen, all three of them have a lot of youth in them, so they'll burn brighter than anyone else." Gai turned and looked out as Lee took off his weights, grimacing as he realized what was about to happen. "Well, that is if Sasuke survives sparring with Lee…" Kakashi looked up in time to see Sasuke thrown from his feet by the powerful shove, and shook his head in disbelief.

"That kid Gai…is really something else. You've done a topnotch bit of work with him." Gai chuckled and smiled at Kakashi.

"If you really think so, bring your team by more often. I'll make sure to put them through the ringer with my kids." Kakashi smiled at the offer, and nodded in his acceptance.

xXxXxXx

Sasuke walked into the clearing, being held up by a slightly limping and tired looking Lee. Sasuke had bruises, cuts, and abrasions running all over his body, and Lee seemed to be singed and cut in several places. Both boys were grinning at the other as they walked into the clearing, and stumbled before falling against a tree.

"That…was damned…amazing…" Sasuke turned to regard Lee with a slightly positive look. 'He's definitely stronger than me for now…but I know I can surpass him since he has trouble with genjutsu and lacks ninjutsu of any kind. Still…I have a long way to go to catch up.'

Naruto stumbled into the clearing after that, carrying a sleeping Tenten in his arms. The girl seemed to be resting comfortably as he carried her bridal style. Lee frowned a bit at the image, but Naruto shot him a shushing look as he laid the girl gently down by her teammate's side. "Sorry, I think I overdid it with her a bit…she really doesn't have the same stamina as I do, I guess." Kurama jumped down and nuzzled the girl's hands a bit. Tenten blinked open her eyes and scratched the fox behind the ears, getting a blush from Naruto.

"So…you and Naruto carried me back huh? Thanks Kurama." Tenten smiled and scratched the fox under the chin, who yipped happily in response. Naruto grumbled at being left out until Tenten rose to her feet and stretched a bit, causing the boy to flush more.

"Hey, Naruto, try not to get a nosebleed huh? It'd be really uncool." Sasuke chided Naruto from his spot at the bottom of the tree. Sasuke smirked at Naruto's outraged reaction, before coughing slightly and gripping his ribs.

"Says the bastard who got his ass-whipped apparently! I'm surprised your nose isn't broken in five places!" Sasuke grinned at Naruto, shrugging slightly. "Then again, you both look messed up…what the hell happened to you two?" Lee groaned a bit, and stood up as well, before turning and smiling widely at Naruto with an outstretched thumbs up.

"We had a violent explosion of youth! The both of us verily fought against each other, clashing with only the might of our bodies!" Naruto tried to not laugh at the boy's description, and Sasuke looked to the side, shaking his head as he tried to hide his face.

"Lee…what have I told you about your descriptions when it comes to exercising?" Lee looked over at Tenten before taking on a thoughtful pose.

"Um…don't do them?" Tenten smiled at the boy before lightly slugging him in the arm.

"Exactly." Tenten turned and smiled at Naruto. "Thanks for carrying me back by the way…I guess I just sort of ran out of steam before the end of the day…" She rubbed the back of her head in slight embarrassment.

"It's okay! Still, I'm irked that I didn't land a single shot on you for that whole time!" Tenten giggled and lightly ruffled the shorter boy's hair.

"Don't worry about it. Give yourself a few weeks and I'm sure you'll nick me in no time!" Tenten then turned a thoughtful eye on the boy as she looked him over. "It's strange though, I know I hit you during our training, but you don't seem to be injured really…" Naruto smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, the Inuzuka heal really fast…so that's probably why. Still, some of those shots really hurt!" Tenten shook her head at the boy and sighed, wrapping an arm around his neck in a friendly chokehold.

"Just remember, I could have made those hurt a lot worse…so be careful against real ninja, alright crybaby?" Naruto growled at the girl, who giggled and let him go. She turned just in time to see Neji and Sakura walk into the clearing, looking winded, but not too much worse for wear. Neither of them were in anything close to the terrible condition of the others.

"I see you went overboard again Lee…" Neji turned to his teammate, a cruel look on his face. Sakura poked him in the side, and the Hyuuga blinked in response to the intrusion on his fated speech.

"Hey, he looked like he worked really hard, leave him be." Sakura turned and gave Neji a pleading look. Neji scowled at the girl, but felt his face heat up none-the-less from her close proximity and facial expression.

"Fine. Lee, Tenten, I'm leaving for the night. I'll meet you both again tomorrow morning at the usual spot." Lee and Tenten both nodded before Neji disappeared into the coming night.

"Well Team, looks like we are all here, so why don't we head out? I'll even treat you all to ramen if you want?" Naruto turned and blinked at the appearance of Kakashi and Gai. Sasuke seemed to shrug at the idea, and Sakura seemed indifferent to the suggestion.

"Ramen? That sounds awesome Kakashi-sensei, I'm definitely up for that!" Kakashi eye-smiled down at Naruto and Kurama jumped up onto Naruto's shoulder in anticipation for the team's departure.

"Sasuke…we begin our youthful morning training at 5 a.m. at the village gates if you are interested in joining us." Sasuke turned and nodded to Lee as he forced himself up into a sitting position.

"Sounds good, I look forward to training with you." As Sasuke moved to join the group, Naruto shot Tenten a hopeful look.

"If you want you can come by my family shop at seven…that's when decent people start training." Tenten said pointedly at Lee, missing Naruto's face of surprise and happiness. "Anyways, ask Sakura for directions, she can tell you the way." Sakura felt a bit left out of the group and turned towards Gai suddenly.

"Gai-sensei, would it be alright if I came by in the evenings to work with Neji then? That way you don't have to have all of us interrupting your normal training schedule?" Sakura's question caught the jonin off-guard, but he gave a quiet smile and nod of acceptance.

"Alright! Come on then, ramen awaits!" Kakashi shook his head, but smiled in appreciation at Gai who silently nodded his consent.

"You know, they weren't all that bad to train with…" Tenten commented off-handedly as their forms retreated from view. 'Though working with Naruto was enjoyable, I bet it would be even more fun to train with Sasuke…'

"I think you all have found a team of worthy rivals in them." Gai said, placing a comforting hand on both of his remaining students' shoulders.

xXxXxXx

"Hey…Kakashi-sensei…how many more days till we're done with all the filing?" Kakashi turned to regard Naruto over an afternoon bento, giving the boy a rare smile.

"Oh, I'd today's the last day, why?" Kakashi paused from his food to prepare for the boy's question.

"Well…it's just, we're learning all this awesome training, but we still haven't done anything but file papers yet…are all D-Rank missions like this?" Naruto grumbled, taking another bite of his bento. Sakura and Sasuke had both decided to eat out for the afternoon, and had left the two of them in the tower to eat on their own.

"Hm…well, most D-Ranks are like this one. They typically take a couple of days to around a week. They sometimes allow genin a chance to practice some of their ninja skills in a mundane setting without the pressure of a mission." Naruto nodded as he took another bite of his bento's offerings.

"So…how many of these do we have to do before we can get a real mission, like a C-Rank I guess?" Kakashi blinked at the question, and took another bite of his food. Despite all of Naruto's attempts, Kakashi's hands still moved too quickly for the boy to figure out what his face looked like.

"In general, the rule is that after the first month and a half of ninja duty…so for us another four weeks…is the time until a C-Rank can be taken." Kakashi set his food down before smiling at Naruto. "With the way you guys have been progressing though, I think I might put you up for one in another two weeks if you work hard at it." Naruto smiled at that, then reached into his pocket and pulled out his current nemesis.

"Heheh…I've been putting a lot of hours into this leaf training you gave us and I finally have something to show you!" Naruto placed the leaf between his palms and concentrated as hard as he could. Kakashi leaned in, slightly surprised by the boy's attitude shift.

'He couldn't have mastered that in only two weeks…it takes at least six months for someone to get elemental manipulation down usually.' When Naruto's hand pulled back Kakashi was surprised to see a leaf with a cut running across a quarter of its length. "Well, it's not all the way mastered, but that is at least enough to start on your C-Rank techniques I gave you." Naruto smiled up expectantly at Kakashi, who merely rubbed his hair in pride.

xXxXxXx

Two weeks, and two boring missions passed for Team Seven, and now they were standing in wooded area, radio receivers tacked onto the sides of their faces. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura came to rest quickly behind three of the trees, placing themselves out of view of their targets. Naruto silently drew his bow and nocked an arrow.

The radio on each of the genins' neck's flared to life. Over a transmission came Kakashi's voice, his lazy attitude apparent through the link. "What's the distance to the target?"

"Five meters," Came Sasuke's reply, "I'm ready anytime." Choruses of similar agreements came from Sakura and Naruto.

"Ok, GO!" Naruto's shot fired into the clearing, and the target flung itself towards Sasuke's direction. Sasuke pressed forward quickly, scaring the target back and away, and making it flee towards Sakura. Sakura charged forward and flicked her whip out, lashing it in front of the target. The sudden whip crack made the target stop in fright as Naruto pounced on it from behind.

"GOTCHA!" Naruto cried out, his arms wrapping around a small red cat. The cat let out a horrendous howl and then turned before trying to claw Naruto to death.

"Are you sure that this is the target, Tora? Check for the ribbon on the left ear." Sasuke sighed and checked the cat as the disembodied voice of Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, target confirmed." Sasuke sighed as he looked at his teammates. 'This really is a waste of our skills…we're ready for more than this…' Sakura laughed in the background as she wound up her whip and Naruto was struggling to get the cat under control.

"Good. Lost Pet 'Tora' Search Mission Complete." Kakashi killed the radio transmission as he went to meet up with his squad. 'Well…we finished this one a bit ahead of schedule. Thanks to Naruto's tracking skills, we were able to find the cat rather quickly.' Kakashi pulled his book out as he thought to himself while meeting up with his students. 'It's been about two weeks since they all started training on their own, and I'm impressed…maybe it's time to whet their teeth on a real mission.'

xXxXxXx

A loud cat screech was audible from far outside the Hokage's mission briefing room. "OH! My poor little Tora-chan, I was so worried about you!"

Sakura face faulted as the cat was crushed against an overweight woman's cheek. 'Geez…no wonder the poor cat ran away.'

Sasuke rolled his eyes, obviously annoyed by the spectacle. 'That's the wife of the man who runs our country…not impressed.'

Naruto grinned at the sight, and Kurama seemed to chuckle from around the boy's neck. 'Heh, serves that stupid cat right, trying to claw up my face!'

"Hmm…Now, Team Kakashi, your next mission is…Babysitting an Elder's grandson, Shopping in the Neighboring Village, or…helping with the potato digging." The Hokage read from a list on his desk, not looking up at the faces of the group.

'Come on, we are so ready for more than that!' Naruto, Sasuke, and surprisingly Sakura thought to themselves.

"Actually, Lord Hokage, I was thinking that it might be time to try this Team out on a C-Rank mission." Sarutobi blinked in surprise at Kakashi, before smiling lightly to himself.

"Are you sure Kakashi? Your team is a bunch of rookies…they need to start from the bottom and work their way up, don't they?" Kakashi turned a lazy eye on Umino Iruka. As classes were out for the summer, he was apparently helping out at the office of the Hokage.

"Trust me, they are ready for this Iruka. They've been training day in and day out, and they all appreciate the various jobs that come through the village, right team?" They all turned and nodded to Kakashi, trying to appear respectful for the moment.

'About damn time the guy signed us up for this…I've been busting my ass with Lee every morning for almost a month!' Sasuke was trying really hard to keep his fake smile in place as he looked between the men in charge of his fate.

"Ok. If you think they are ready for this, then I will give you a C-Rank." Kakashi blinked in surprise and Iruka turned to give the Hokage an incredulous stare. "What? These were the best in your class, right Iruka? I'm sure that the best you can send me are ready for this sort of responsibility…" Iruka nodded mutely at the Hokage, before turning back to his paperwork.

"I realize this stems a bit from your preparation so far, but your first C-Rank mission will be a protection mission for a certain individual." Naruto seemed to gain a glint in his eyes as he turned a smiling look towards the Hokage.

"Haha! It's going to be someone awesome right! Like a princess or a daimyo, right?" Naruto gave the old man a big grin, even as Kurama swatted the boy on the side of his head for being uppity.

"Quiet down. I'm about to introduce him." Sarutobi turned to the door nearest to him and called out to it, "Hey, you can come in now!"

A door slid open to reveal a large set of hands and a giant bottle of alcohol. "What is this?" Came a gruff voice, as a large heavy-set man entered the room. "They are all a bunch of super brats…Especially, the shortest one with the super stupid looking face." The man was completely in the room now, and had a rope tied around his forehead. There was pepper gray hair that was receding from his forehead, glasses on his nose, and a sash around his waist. He wore a black tunic, and had a checkered pair of shorts sticking from the bottom. He was also very grizzly looking, with a mustache and beard that covered his lips and the bottom of his chin.

'Heh, who's the shortest one with the stupidest face?' Naruto thought, looking quickly between himself, Sasuke, and Sakura. 'Well…Sasuke is taller than me…and so is Sakura…'

Naruto's eyes went wide before they settled into a hard line. 'I'm going to kill this guy…' The man seemed to blanch back at Naruto's harsh stare, and it brought a smirk to the boy's face.

"Now, now, Naruto, you can't haul off and kill our client because he was a little rude." Naruto looked at Kakashi with a slight face of chagrin. The 'client' seemed to huff at that, and pull a self-important air around himself.

"I am the Super Expert Bridge Builder Tazuna. I expect you to provide me Super Protection until I can get back to my country and complete my current bridge."

"Certainly. We'll meet you at the main gate to the village in the afternoon. Team, why don't you go pack up and collect your gear. Expect to be gone for a while, so say any goodbyes you need to before then." Kakashi turned to Tazuna and held out his hand. "I'm Hatake Kakashi, I'll be the Jonin providing the main protection on this mission." Tazuna nodded to the man and shook hands with him. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura all relieved themselves from the room while the two adults began talking about the upcoming journey.

xXxXxXx

Sasuke headed back to his house, and pulled out a small book from his pocket. In it, he had the pawprint of the cat Tora. 'I can't believe how long it has been since then…still, there are couple left to collect, so I can wait a bit longer.' Sasuke turned and pulled one of the packs he kept stocked in his room. It was full to the brim for a long training trip, a practice that Itachi had ingrained in him when he was young. Pulling a leaf from his pocket, Sasuke smiled as he quickly turned a quarter of the leaf black before it burst into flame. 'I'm getting closer brother…I'm still a long way off, but I'm getting closer.'

xXxXxXx

Sakura dreaded returning home. Honestly, the last few weeks had been perfect for the girl. With her training with her team, missions, and time spent with Neji, she was hardly ever in the house. The girl stopped in the street as she neared her house. 'That's why I wanted to be a ninja originally…ninja are strong, and can keep their enemies away…maybe, if I get strong enough, they'll leave me alone.' Sakura smiled at the small hope before running into her house to grab a few things.

xXxXxXx

Naruto raced through the streets, his pack already on his back and Kurama yipping excitedly behind him. "Come on, Kurama! If you don't hurry up, we won't get a chance to see Tenten before we have to leave!" Naruto raced down the streets before stopping in front of the small weapons shop. Naruto composed himself before he opened the door and stepped inside.

"Hello! My name is Tenten, welcome to the Aoyama…" Tenten turned and smiled when she saw Naruto standing there. "Oh, hey Naruto! What's up? My team is off training for the day, Gai-sensei apparently pushed it a little far while working on a new technique with Lee." Naruto chuckled and smiled at the girl.

"Yeah, that sounds like the Bushy Brow Duo!" Tenten giggled at the nickname and moved to place some more merchandise on the shelves. "Anyways, I came by to tell you that my team got its first C-Rank mission, so I'll be out of the village for a little while." Tenten turned in shock and gave the boy a raised eyebrow of concern.

"You be careful out there, okay? My team's first C-Rank was pretty rough…" Naruto smiled and stuck his hands behind his head.

"Hey, thanks to working with you, I'm almost a perfect shot with my bow now! I'll be fine, so don't worry about it." Tenten grinned at the boy, before pulling him into a quick hug. Naruto blushed at that a bit, but thankfully Tenten didn't seem to notice.

"Yeah, you did improve pretty well. Hey, I got a surprise for you. I'll give them to you now, but I was going to have you pay for them later." Naruto blinked as the girl pulled a quiver down from a top shelf. It was loaded with several standard arrows like Naruto's, but they seemed to have special red fletching.

"Oh man, I'm supposed to be your friend! Why are you making me buy stuff from you?" Tenten laughed at the boy, which made Naruto only blush harder.

"Ah, it's not money I want for these arrows…" Naruto gave Tenten a questioning look at that, and she merely responded by waving him forward with her off hand. Tenten then leaned down and whispered conspiratorially in Naruto's ear, "…you see, I think Sakura likes my teammate Neji. All I want you to do in return for these arrows is find out if that's true or not." Naruto blinked at the girl and got a suspicious look on his face.

"Why do you care if Sakura likes Neji?" Tenten blushed a bit at being called out, but quickly waved her hands in front of herself as a denial.

"Look, it's not like I like him or anything…I just…am a bit inquisitive, you know?" Naruto kept the questioning gaze up, but eventually shrugged in acceptance.

"Anyways, thanks for these. What do they do?" Tenten smiled at the boy before tapping the special colored fletching with her finger.

"These are the first of their kind exploding arrows! Now for the first time ever, you can deliver an explosive welcome to anyone you hit with one of these bad boys!" Naruto blinked before looking down at the things in surprise.

"That's…awesome!" Naruto quickly pulled all of the arrows out and stuffed them in his quiver. "Thanks Tenten, I promise that with these I'll make it back no problem!" Kurama yipped in agreement, and Tenten flushed at the boy before clipping him on the head lightly.

"Hey, don't go making promises like that! Heroes say things like that and then terrible things happen!" Naruto grinned up cheekily at the girl.

"So…you would care if something horrible happened to me, huh?" Naruto was happy to see Tenten flush red a bit before he let out a cackle of laughter.

"Just…just get out of here and come back safely, okay?" Tenten shook her head at the boy as she shooed him out of the shop.

"Alright, alright. I'll make good on that payment too, alright?" Tenten shook her head and waved to the boy as he jumped to the rooftops.

"Just make sure you keep the promise, idiot."

xXxXxXx

Sasuke and Sakura stood together, waiting at the main gate. Sakura glanced over at Sasuke, only to see the boy focusing on the leaf in his hand. Sasuke had really progressed the most out of any of them, though Kakashi-sensei had refused to teach him any techniques until Sasuke had completely mastered his fire training. Sakura thought it was a bit unfair, but understood anyways.

"_**The team must work together flawlessly Sakura…that's what makes a Leaf Cell the strongest in the Elemental Nations. For that to happen, I need you all to be at the same skill level."**_

The girl was shaken from her musings as she saw Neji come walking toward the gate. "Hey, Neji!" The boy turned his pale eyes toward the girl, and gave the most imperceptible of nods. 'Heheh…he still needs to work on being more outgoing it seems…not that I mind. Being controlled has its place too I guess.' Sakura felt herself beginning to think of her parents and roughly shook herself mentally.

"Your team seems to be preparing to leave the village." Neji's statement drew a nod from Sasuke, and Sakura brightened and smiled at him.

"Yeah, we're going to be leaving soon. I won't be back to train with you for the next couple of weeks probably." Neji nodded at this, no expression filtering across his features.

"Very well. Your team is strong. If you come across any enemies, they are fated to fall before you." Sakura smiled slightly at the vote of confidence, but still shook her head lightly. 'He's even more of a brick wall to get through than Sasuke…' _'CHA! I'd bet he's really hard underneath those clothes too!'_ Sakura wiped at her nose to fend off a coming nose-bleed quickly.

"I'm due at the estate soon. I have to go. However…" Neji turned and gave Sakura a long look of consideration. It set the girl slightly on edge as he did so, and Sakura felt herself blush slightly at the intensity of his gaze. "When you get back…It will be nice to train with you again." Sakura swallowed tightly, but nodded, her face flushing as the boy left.

"Heh…you and Naruto are really pathetic with your blooming romances, you know that?" Sakura turned to frown at Sasuke, who had a slight smile on his face.

"It's nothing like that Sasuke! I totally don't like Neji!" Sakura cried out, causing the Uchiha to light the leaf in his hand on fire.

Sasuke's grin grew as he looked at the burning leaf. "You haven't asked me on a date since two weeks ago…when we finished the filing mission at the Hokage tower." Sakura blushed as she realized the boy had her caught in a trap. She started to stutter out a response, but Sasuke cut her off.

"It's alright. As long as it doesn't get in the way of our teamwork it doesn't bother me. Besides, I've decided that I'm not going to be with anyone until after I've defeated my brother. Once that's been completed, then I can start thinking about settling down." Sakura blinked at the boy, before flushing slightly as what he said hit home.

"If I cannot defeat my brother, he will more than likely continue the Uchiha line elsewhere. If that happens, then it will just mean that I am dead, so there will be no large loss there. Over time, the clan will be forgotten in Konoha, and it will rise to power elsewhere." Sakura paled lightly at the harsh line of thinking. "If I succeed, then there will be time left to start a family afterward. Either way, the clan will continue." Sakura coughed lightly, getting Sasuke to turn and look at her.

"That's pretty morbid you know? There's nothing wrong with living in the moment while you work towards your goals…you can have people to hold onto you know?" Sasuke blinked at her, before he shook his head and crossed his arms, going stony and silent on the girl. 'Tenten's right, Neji and Sasuke are one in the same with their stony attitudes…'

"HEY! There you two are, let's get this show on the road!" Naruto jumped down from the rooftops, a grinning Kurama sitting on top of his pack. Tazuna and Kakashi came walking around the corner at the same time.

"What's got you so excited, Naruto?" Sakura called out, glad for the Inuzuka's interruption.

"Well…it's cause I've never been outside the village before!" Tazuna turned a disapproving glare on the loudmouth's antics as the boy jumped around.

"Hey…am I really going to be safe with this brat guarding me?" Kakashi chuckled lightly as Naruto and Kurama began to growl at the old man.

"Don't worry so much Tazuna-san…my team is one of the best for combat in their age group, and I am an elite ninja to boot…you'll be just fine." Naruto for his part was trying to keep his ire in check.

'I should really let this old timer have one…seriously, dissing on ninja like that!' Naruto turned and felt his ire grow as Tazuna kept a skeptical eye on the boy. "Hey, don't disrespect ninja, alright! We're professionals! Got that!" Tazuna gave a snort at the boy's outburst, raising an eyebrow in Kakashi's direction.

"Oh yeah, kid? You got any goals in life? Cause most professionals I know have a goal or two they're shooting for?" Tazuna gave the loudmouth a disbelieving stare, trying to psyche the boy out.

"Hah, hell yeah I have a goal in life! My goal is to become the Hokage! The number one ninja of the village hidden in the leaves, Inuzuka Naruto! Remember it!" Naruto wasn't aware of it, but both of his teammates were smiling at his outburst of confidence.

"Hokage huh? The village's number one ninja? I doubt a brat like you could become that…" Naruto just glared up at the man, and was surprised when he found Sasuke and Sakura standing to either side of him.

"Hey, leave the old guy alone. If he can't figure it out that you'll be the strongest no matter what, it's not worth our time to stand here talking to him." Sasuke's voice was bored, but he had a harsh gaze locked on the old man.

"What he said Naruto…Tazuna-san, we will do our best to protect you, but please refrain from insulting Naruto further. We'll try to show you respect if you can give us the same in kind." Tazuna blinked at the young girl that seemed to exude such authority.

"Well…alright then. Come on then, let's get going." Tazuna turned, and gave Naruto a slightly apologetic look. "I still won't acknowledge a brat, though if you manage to grow up by the time you become Hokage, I might change my mind." Naruto gave the man a simmering look, but nodded, allowing the group to begin to depart from the village.

xXxXxXx

"Umm…Tazuna-san." Sakura turned to the man, as the group continued walking away from Konoha.

"What is it Sakura-san?" Sakura blinked up at the older man, before flushing lightly.

"You're from the wave country right?" The old man blinked and looked down at the girl.

"What about it?" Sakura blinked at the harsh tone, before turning to Kakashi. 'Jeez, the guy is a real grouch…I don't blame Naruto for getting ticked at him.'

"Kakashi-sensei, do they have ninja in wave country?" Kakashi looked surprised by the question, but shook his head in negation.

"No, not in wave country. But in many other countries, though the cultures and customs are different, ninja villages do exist. Still, isn't that something that was covered in the academy?" Sakura flushed lightly and nodded.

"I've just never heard of wave country before, so I guess I was wondering about it." Kakashi nodded and smiled at his student.

"Don't worry. This is a C-Rank mission, so there shouldn't be any foreign ninja for you to fight. Nah, just some nice easy bandits to test yourself on." Sakura smiled and nodded, happy about that at least.

Sasuke was the only one who noticed the tightening of Tazuna's face, something that he kept to himself for the time being.

Naruto suddenly held up a hand and stopped the group. As he did, Kakashi noticed a puddle on the side of the road.

'Strange…it hasn't rained for several days…' Kakashi felt his sense of danger set in, and he began to prepare chakra for a substitution if necessary.

"Someone's here…no, two people. There are two people nearby who are about to attack us." Sasuke and Sakura nodded to Naruto, each of them pulling out their signature weapons.

"Naruto…where are there presences coming from?" Kakashi's voice was steady as he watched Sasuke and Sakura move into position around Tazuna.

Naruto gave a slight hand signal, which Kakashi caught and realized pointed to the pool of water next to him. Kakashi nodded and smiled in an overly large fashion.

"Well…it's good that you picked them out from that far away…we should be able to proceed safely for now though…" That being said, Kakashi moved the group forward and away from the puddle, drawing confused looks from his genin.

As they moved forward, Naruto caught the slightest sound of moving water from behind him. "Everyone, get ready!" Naruto shouted out, turning to face the enemy. As he did so, he watched one shinobi, chained to another, fly out at the same speed as Lee was famous for. One wrapped a chain around Kakashi, and the other began to squeeze, pulling against the man. Kakashi's eyes flushed wide in surprise and fear as he was suddenly ripped in two in front of Tazuna's eyes.

'Oh no…what have I done?'

"One down…" the voices of the two enemy ninja were blurred by rebreathers that covered their faces. One had long, lanky black hair, and a metal gauntlet on his right arm. The other had long spiky black hair, with the gauntlet on his left arm. They both wore large overcoats, and seemed to be covered in camouflage gear that was sopping wet.

The two missing nin's moved in a blur, not taking in the looks of shock as they approached their next victim. It was unfortunate for them that they didn't, as they missed the smirks of excitement that were on the faces of Naruto and Sasuke.

"Two down…" As they flanked Naruto, the two ninja's felt a moment of apprehension as they noticed the look on the boy's face.

"It's about time you two showed up…" A second Naruto appeared next to the shinobi on Naruto's left. "Let's go wild!" Naruto's chakra flared, and his eyes turned a malevolent red with a blackened slit.

xXxXxXx

AHAHAHAHA! My first cliffy! I've been waiting so long to do that! Huah! Man, that feels better. Heheh, okay, now that that's over with…

To the few positive reviewers out there! Thank you so much! I hope that this chapter will allow for the beginning of further plot devices in the story. Currently, I am a little worried that I rushed the introduction of Team Gai into this part of the story, but I hope to have more team interactions through flashbacks during the wave mission, and will be doing added character relationship building during the upcoming bonus section before the Chuunin exams set off.

That being said, this is the first one since the first one where I will sign off and wish well to those out there that are still reading. Updates might slow over the next couple days as classes are starting to make things hectic. Hope to hear from you all, so as always, READ AND REVIEW!


	6. Chapter 6 : Dead as Dog

S'alright! Let's get this started, it's time for the next chapter! Took me a bit to work some things out for this chapter, and here it is, the start of the wave arc. That being said…I own nothing but the original stuff!

xXxXxXx

"Let's go wild!" Naruto burst into a flurry of limbs, spinning rapidly and knocking the foreign ninja on his left back and away from Tazuna. A shadow passed over his face as the ninja fell backward, and the blonde grinned.

A second later, a shuriken impacted with the chains of the two ninja, and a kunai later left them locked to the tree. Before either of them could move, Sasuke landed on their outstretched clawed gauntlets. Not sparing a single second, the Uchiha spun and nailed both of them in the side of the face with a vicious pair of mule kicks. As they were launched backwards, he quickly drew his tanto, and smirked as Naruto and Kurama landed in the path of their coming flight.

"Gatsuuga!" Two matching blurs disappeared in front of the men, knocking them backwards into trees. The chains attached to them clinked off, and in an instant the two were blurring towards Sakura and Tazuna. Before they even reached them though, Sasuke had cut one off and drawn his blade.

"Your fight is with me." Sasuke felt himself twitch in excitement. 'These guys are fast…not Lee fast, but fast. This is going to be fun…' Sasuke's slash caused the armed gauntlet to go up in defense, and the boy smirked in satisfaction as a large gash was torn in the metal. In a burst of speed, the two disappeared, dancing as metal clanged. In an instant though, it ended; Sasuke appeared behind his enemy, faster than his opponent could react and buried his tanto into the man's skull. Sasuke froze at the sight of blood on his blade, transfixed as the body beneath him began to twitch in its death throes. 'It was so easy...'

The other foreign ninja had been continuing on its path toward the girl, but felt his eyebrows raise as a mist called up from nowhere. 'These bastards know our techniques!' Before he lost sight of the girl's last position, he raised his arm and shot out several senbon. He was surprised when they impacted with a short form with spiky brown hair.

"You shouldn't have involved my teammates…Your fight is with me, not them." Naruto felt something inside of him tighten. A desire to protect his friends…and a desire to kill those that would bring them harm. In an instant, Naruto was inside of the man's guard, having dodged a slash from the metal gauntlet.

Naruto's claws flashed out in front of him, and he found a sick satisfaction as it tore into the man's abdomen. Naruto idly noticed an imperceptible whine as his claws passed through the air and smiled. 'The Wind Claw is a really nice trick to have…'

The foreign ninja clutched at his torso, trying to keep the blood loss from getting to him. Lowering his arm proved to be a fatal mistake, as he soon found the tendons in that arm severed by a kunai. The man stumbled back, trying to gurgle out the words for surrender. Naruto just sneered at the words.

Bringing his gauntleted arm up to slash at his tormentor, the man knew defeat as red eyes stared him down. The eyes that locked onto him were full of murder, and a savage abandon. A pained scream filled the clearing, and the man's gauntlet was destroyed in an instant, a claw mark rending through the metal and carving into his ulnar artery. Blood sprayed everywhere, and flicked itself onto Naruto's face.

Naruto felt a grin spread over his features. 'This is so much better than a spar…this feeling of death…of _domination_' Naruto lashed into the man, his claws tearing into his face as he tackled and pinned his enemy to the ground. His claws rented everything he could reach; eyes, cheeks, neck, ears, scalp. Everything was his to destroy.

Just as his claws were about to tear into the cranial cavity of the man, he felt a sensation pulling back on one of his hands. Turning, a murderous fury in his eyes, Naruto came face to face with the eyes of Sakura.

"That's enough Naruto. You need to stop now." Naruto felt his rage quicken briefly, before he took in the view around him. Kurama was looking up at the boy, having transformed back long ago and staring with eyes of sadness, and fear. Sasuke stood nearby, cooly regarding Naruto, with a slight hint of concern in his eyes.

"Thanks…I…I guess I lost it for a bit there." Sakura nodded as Naruto stood up, her whip falling from the boys arm. Naruto rubbed at it gingerly, his nose already taking in the smell of the kill.

"Well…a bit more excitement than I had anticipated for your first kills, but a kill none-the-less." Kakashi appeared in the clearing, startling Tazuna. The grizzled old man looked between the mysteriously revived Kakashi and the piles of logs on the ground.

"I'll have to talk to you both later; there's a standard psychological evaluation for when a ninja makes their first kill." Kakashi turned a rather concerned look toward Naruto, and the boy froze in the gaze before looking away dejectedly. 'The Inuzuka jutsu increases a person's natural instincts for battle, but that was more than is normal. The amount of demonic chakra that leaked through in those attacks was more than before…this may be an issue.'

Sasuke glanced down at his tanto, covered in the blood of the dead ninja's head. 'It was strangely easy…so strangely easy. Is this how it will feel when I kill Itachi?' Sasuke stooped to the grass, and calmly and slowly wiped off the blood. As he did, he noticed the smallest of tremors go through his hand. He checked himself for injuries, and found none. 'Why is my hand shaking?' Sasuke fought down a strange feeling as he turned towards his kill. The feeling only increased as he turned to the corpse Naruto had created.

Sakura regarded Naruto carefully, her eyes traveling over his form. Part of her was terrified at the actions of her teammate, and the other was concerned for his well-being. It was then that she noticed the senbon sticking from his chest. "Naruto! You have senbon in you, those are probably poisoned!" Naruto blinked down at the needles extending from his chest, and unzipped his jacket. As he did, an armor plate showed itself. Embedded halfway into the plate were three senbon needles, but none of them seemed to have pierced the skin.

"It's alright Sakura, my armor stopped them before they did too much damage." Naruto's voice was shaky but audible.

Kakashi picked the two bodies up and carried them next to one another. He pulled out a pair of scrolls and sighed as he looked at the killed ninja. 'Though Naruto went overboard, Sasuke really didn't do too badly…straight shot, right through the back of the skull with his tanto…' Rolling out the sealing array, Kakashi shook his head as he sealed the two foreign ninja into his scroll. "You three did really well…those were missing ninja from Kirigakure, worth a small bounty each." Kakashi smiled at his team, but frowned internally when he wasn't greeted by any positive reactions.

"However, that doesn't change the fact that we had ninjas attack us on a C-rank mission. Seeing as they didn't immediately capitalize on taking out either myself or Sasuke, and went straight for you Tazuna…" Kakashi trailed off, watching as the sweat began to bead at the man's forehead. "…there must be some details you left out of our mission briefing." Tazuna blinked once before sighing in understanding.

"Kakashi-sensei, who are these guys?" Naruto's voice was low, and he seemed to be rubbing at his hands idly, his face bowed and covering his eyes.

"These were Chuunin rank missing ninja from Kirigakure. They are known for their expertise in assassination missions, and for being relentless in the pursuit of their missions." Kakashi turned and smiled at Naruto again, trying to bring the boy out of his depression. "If it wasn't for your early warning, we might have ended up in a much worse condition. You likely saved someone from getting injured Naruto." Naruto finally looked up at that, and Kakashi was unsurprised to find a single tear track running down from either of his eyes.

"I…I'm sorry." Naruto choked out, before disappearing into the woods. Kakashi sighed, and watched as Sasuke trailed his gaze after his departing teammate.

"Sasuke, go retrieve him. We need to get moving soon. Sakura, set up a signal flare for Konoha for a retrieval of a storage scroll." Though Sakura moved about her task robotically, with a proper amount of deference, Sasuke was out of the clearing in an instant.

"How did you know they were there?" Kakashi turned, surprised at the question from Tazuna.

"The puddle was the first clue. It hasn't rained in days, so for a puddle to be out in broad daylight like that was a little unusual. Add to that Naruto's advanced sensing abilities, and we had a fairly good sign that we were walking into an ambush." Tazuna blanched slightly at that, his face contorted in surprise and disgust.

"Then why did you let the brats handle it? Surely they could have been spared from such killing…" Kakashi sighed as he looked over at Sakura, preparing the standard signal flare.

"I could have handled those two alone if I had wanted to…however, I needed to confirm who their target was…" Kakashi turned a lazy eye to Tazuna, who stiffened appreciatively under the suspicious gaze.

"What do you mean?" Kakashi was surprised that the man had the nerve to try and lie to a ninja. Surprised, but slightly amused.

"Meaning, were they after you, or one of us…it's fairly obvious that they were targeting you, so my question is why?" Tazuna looked away guiltily from the ninja's gaze. "We were hired to protect you from thugs and brigands, not ninja. Based on the additional threat, this is no longer a C-Ranked mission…probably B or higher. Our protection was to last until you completed your bridge…but with this change, our contract…" Kakashi faded off, watching as his suggestions wormed their way into the bridge builder's mind.

Kakashi looked over to his left as a signal flare was sent up into the sky, marking the need for body retrieval. "We should continue the mission Kakashi-sensei. We already showed that the three of us can handle superior opponents, and none of us were injured in the exchange." Kakashi smiled at the girl, happy for her determination to continue in the face of adversity.

'She's come such a long way over the last few months…then again, Anko's consciousness raising is a little extreme…' Kakashi shook his head at the girl, chuckling lightly. "That's pretty ambitious of you Sakura…still, I'm glad to hear you so fired up for a mission." Kakashi turned to fix Tazuna with a stare.

"I think I should explain when the other's return, I'd rather only have to explain once." Kakashi nodded, and turned to look towards the woods where Naruto and Sasuke had fled.

xXxXxXx

Naruto knelt by the stream, his hands scrubbing over themselves over and over. Kurama knelt nearby, keening to the boy, and trying to get him to stop. 'It won't come off…no matter what I do, it won't come off!' Naruto stiffened as he heard a twig crack behind him. He turned wide eyes to see Sasuke standing there, unflinching as he cooly regarded Naruto.

"The blood never comes off you know…" Sasuke's simple statement had Naruto's eyes pitching wide, and Kurama looking pleadingly at his partner. "The blood never comes off and the memories will never leave." Despite Sasuke's calm tone, his own hand was still shaking from the kill, and he seemed to be looking through Naruto rather than at him.

"I…I couldn't stop. Once I started, I just started to enjoy it…seeing the pain on the guy's face…seeing his blood…" Naruto's voice rambled out, and he turned back towards the stream once more. Sasuke walked up to Naruto, and grabbed his arm, hauling him to his feet. Sasuke sighed once, and then began speaking, his voice even and cool.

"It's different for everyone. I felt nothing, and that worries me almost as much as your enjoyment." Naruto found Sasuke's eyes, and saw the seriousness in them. A moment later, Naruto felt all of the memories of his kill come flashing back to him. Naruto turned suddenly, and emptied his bowels upon the forest floor. Sasuke stood by emotionlessly, but nodded when he saw Naruto wipe his mouth and wash away the taste with river water.

"Come on, the others are waiting. You know Sakura gets impatient when anyone is late." Naruto let out a light chuckle at that, turning to smile at his friend.

"Thanks. Come on Kurama." The fox yipped once in agreement, and bounded up to greet the two boys as they walked from the woods.

xXxXxXx

"You FAILED?" A short man, with expensive looking coifed brown hair, whisker thin mustache, and glasses pointed an accusing finger at a large man sitting in an oversized chair. "I spent a lot of money to hire all of you, damn it! Aren't you supposed to be a demon of a killer?" The man had only a split second to flinch as a large sword stopped mere millimeters from his face.

"Don't worry about it…" The gruff voice came from behind a mask of cloth. "The next time, I'll be there to lend my personal touch…they'll go down without a fight." The sword retracted itself from the man's face, settling back behind the chair. "And then we'll get paid. We do the job, and then we get paid, got it?"

"I'm glad to see you're so sure of yourself, but the enemy killed your little demon mist brothers. These aren't some greenhorn rookie ninja, and they'll be extra-cautious now!" The man flinched as the massive form across from him straightened in his seat, fixing him with a glare.

"Who the hell do you think I am? There's a reason I'm called the devil of the hidden mist, Momochi Zabuza. I'll kill them, and then you pay me. That's it."

A single nod came back from the short man, even as he tried to will his hand to stop shaking.

xXxXxXx

Naruto walked back into the clearing with the rest of his team. He glanced about, and saw that the bodies had already been sealed and carried off. There was hardly a droplet of blood next to where Sasuke's kill had occurred. There was bloodshed everywhere next to where Naruto's had been. Entails scattered the ground in various places, and the ground was caked in red.

'I…I'm not going to be sick again. I can hold this off.' Naruto fought down the nauseous urge, and turned to give as steady a look at Kakashi as he could muster. 'Even if there still is a difference between Sasuke's smooth kill and mine…even if I continue to train and get stronger…I swear I will never make a kill like that again.' Kakashi looked into the boys eyes, and nodded once to them. The group as a whole turned, and began to continue down the path to wave wordlessly.

xXxXxXx

After several hours of walking, Kakashi called a halt, and had the team begin to set up camp. Kakashi kept an eye on his students, and was a little disturbed by what he saw. 'Naruto and Sasuke may be fine physically, but they are showing some signs of wear and tear mentally.' Kakashi's eye ghosted over and settled on Sakura, his frown increasing. 'Sakura seems to want to continue the mission…but not because she believes in their skills. No, she's doing this so their kill won't be in vain…this is going to be a pain in the ass.'

Tazuna settled in next to Kakashi, and the man gave the bridge builder a friendly look. Tazuna nodded, and a few moments later, food was brought out and settled around the small fire they had built. Kakashi cleared his throat as he looked around the group, and noticed Naruto jump at the sound. Sasuke gave him a neutral glance, and Sakura looked over to him worriedly.

"Tazuna-san has some things he would like to share with us about this mission." Kakashi saw both Naruto and Sasuke look up at that, confusion in both of their eyes. "When he's done explaining, we'll decide whether or not we want to continue protecting him for the duration of the mission." Tazuna shifted uncomfortably in his seat, pulling a traveling cloak around himself as he settled in front of the fire.

"The thing about this mission is…it is most likely outside of your capabilities and duties to complete." His words had a marked effect on the atmosphere, as Sasuke grimaced and Naruto seemed to begin judging the man closely. "There is a super dangerous man after my life." Naruto's gaze narrowed further at that statement.

"An super dangerous man…" Naruto repeated in a questioning and harsh voice. Tazuna swallowed heavily, as if it was painful to continue.

"Who?" Kakashi's simple question and unconcerned face was enough to calm the bridge builder.

"You've probably heard of his name before…" Tazuna's sigh did nothing to ease the mounting tension of the group. "The wealthy shipping magnate, a man named Gatou." Kakashi felt his eyebrows shoot for his scalp.

"What? Gatou? As in Gatou of the Gatou Shipping Corporation?" At Tazuna's slight nod, Kakashi swallowed hard. "He's one of the world's wealthiest people!" Kakashi's brain was spinning as he took in this information. 'If Gatou is our enemy, we'll be up against a team made of at least one Jounin, and possibly several more Chuunin or genin…we already took out two Chuunin, so there's probably at least one more Chuunin level opponent, probably stronger than either of the mist brothers…not to mention possible addtitional targets.' Kakashi's musing was brought up short as Tazuna seemed to sigh, about to bring additional bad news.

"Yes. That Gatou. Officially he runs an international shipping company…" Tazuna's gaze hardened as he stared into the fire. "However, he sells drugs on the black market along with contraband. He protects his investments from outside intrusion through the use of ninja and mercenaries, and breaks the spirit of the people by marketing his drugs to young and old alike. That's how he takes over entire countries." Kakashi felt himself tense in anger at the description, though outwardly his appearance had not changed.

Kakashi flicked an eye over his group, and saw similar looks of distaste on all of his students, even the stoic Sasuke. Kakashi refocused on Tazuna as he continued his story.

"It was about a year ago when Gatou turned his attention on Wave. Through money, violence, and addictive drugs he quickly broke the spirit of people and took over our shipping industry. He only recently gained a complete monopoly. The only thing he has to fear now is the completion of the bridge." Kakashi frowned as he thought over the image the country presented.

'Sensei…I know what you would have us do. But, I don't know if I feel comfortable risking Obito's and your legacy at the same time.'

"So basically, because you're building the bridge, Gatou wishes to take you out." Sakura's question broke the slowly building silence.

"And those ninja we fought were hired by Gatou…" Sasuke continued Sakura's line of questioning, and Naruto stood up and faced Tazuna squarely.

"And if what you said about him being so wealthy is true, he can likely afford a decent amount of ninja, ones with more training than us." Naruto's words brought Sasuke and Sakura to regard him carefully. Naruto was known for his brash outbursts, and raucous claims. Humility was not something that appeared regularly. Kakashi regarded the boy carefully before coughing lightly to distract Tazuna from Naruto's glare.

"What I don't understand is, is that if you knew all this, why did you hide these facts when you hired us?" Kakashi's questioning only seemed to lower Tazuna further into a state of depression.

"Wave country is super poor…Even the country's Daimyo is broke." Tazuna's gaze had returned to the flames, his voice distancing himself from the group. "The people are especially poor, and so we cannot afford the expense of a B-Ranked mission. I have just recently garnered the money for the C-Rank mission by performing work in fire country, drawing interest away from the bridge with my absence." Kakashi nodded at the explanation. It presented the reason for the man's presence in Konoha, so far from home, and showed why Gatou would be interested in killing Tazuna now.

'With him having been absent for some time, if Tazuna is killed now the bridge's momentum would likely be lost forever. A bridge to nowhere, symbolizing the country's dependence on Gatou. This mission is a real pain…'

"Well, if you quit the mission now and leave me to return to my country alone…I will most certainly be killed." This response drew concerned looks from all of Kakashi's students, though the man was impressed that none of them acted out.

"But…Don't worry about it!" Tazuna's voice was instantly in a patently false upbeat tone. "I mean, if I die my cute 10 year old grandson will just cry for a few days! Oh yeah, and my daughter will live a sad life hating the leaf village until she dies! But it won't be your fault…Not at all!" Kakashi and the entire group of leaf ninja felt themselves wince internally.

"Well, then I guess we have no choice but to take the mission afterall…We will protect you at least until we get back to your country." Kakashi's voice was shaky as he glanced at the bridge builder. The man seemed to have slumped his shoulders in acceptance, and had a look of gratitude about him. However, Kakashi did notice the slight smirk on the old man's face.

Naruto stood suddenly from the group and cleaned his plate off before heading off into the woods. Kakashi sighed as he watched the boy go, and held a hand up to stop Sakura and Sasuke from going anywhere.

"I'll talk to him. You guys stay here and guard Tazuna. While a second attack this close to home is not expected, it's better to be prepared." Sasuke grimaced, and Sakura nodded in agreement. Kakashi stood, and quickly caught up with the retreating form of Naruto, Kurama wrapped around the boy's neck as he fired his bow repeatedly. The dull repetitive 'thunk' of arrow after arrow impacting with the tree did little to calm Kakashi's nerves about the coming confrontation.

"I take it this is where you explain why we're putting the team in unneeded danger, right Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto did not even turn from his chosen target as he drilled another shot into the tree. The moment painfully reminded Kakashi of one of his with Naruto's father, when the man had questioned his decision to pursue an unknown amount of enemies into dangerous territory. Setting the memory aside, Kakashi cleared his throat in a futile attempt to get Naruto's attention.

"Well…that and give the standard psychological assistance for when a student makes their first kill…" Kakashi's friendly voice reached out, hoping to get the boy to stop with his repetitive motions. He was rewarded with another dull 'thunk' as the next arrow impacted. "Anyways, we're continuing the mission because we are the only ones who can possibly complete it for Tazuna. You heard how bad the situation was in his country." Naruto only grunted in reply, and Kakashi was tempted to growl at the boy. He persevered though, and continued in an even tone. "Those who have the power to change things but do nothing are the greatest cowards." Naruto paused for a moment, his arrow drawing back a little longer than the ones prior.

It released with a dull 'thunk' and impacted with the tree. "You said we would also talk about my first kill?" Kakashi nodded at Naruto, and flinched when another arrow was drawn and released monotonously.

"What about when a student makes their first slaughter, huh? Let's face it, what I did there was less a kill and more a massacre." Naruto actually lowered his bow at that point and faced Kakashi with eyes that were angry, with single tear tracts running down either side of his face. "How did I even do that? That was a Chuunin and I tore through him like there was nothing there!" Kakashi felt himself wince internally.

"You were using the All Fours Jutsu at the time correct?" Naruto nodded, his face grim as he asked Kakashi to continue. "The All Fours Jutsu increases the bloodlust and ferocious nature of the user while providing a significant boost in chakra. Combined with your Wind Claws, which are rather hard for an enemy to notice, and it makes a devastating combination." Kakashi was about to continue when he found Naruto suddenly standing in front of him. The boy was breathing heavily, and seemed to be very much on edge.

"But we know that the next enemy…they'll be stronger. I…I lost it out there because someone wanted to harm my friends…and then because it was too easy to kill them. What if I lose it again next time and I get myself or them killed?" Naruto was rubbing at his hands idly again, and Kakashi noticed that there were slight cuts in Naruto's hand from where he had been pulling the string of the bow.

'He's out here training, training so they don't get hurt.' Kakashi smiled and placed his hand on top of Naruto's head. "I'll never allow my teammates to die; I will give my life before that happens." Naruto looked up at Kakashi's face and smiled lightly, some of the tension seeming to leave the boy's body. "Now, do you want to talk about your kill earlier?" Naruto tensed for a moment before nodding slightly. When he began, his voice was quiet, and low, like a dying flame.

"Once the blood began to spill, it just…I found I liked it. I liked having that much power over my opponent...I could have killed him sooner, more cleanly like Sasuke, but I felt no need to…I…actually didn't want to stop when Sakura made me quit." Kakashi nodded at this description, his mind flickering to the past times that Naruto had used the Inuzuka Clan's techniques.

"Naruto, you are a particularly powerful Inuzuka, you realize this right?" Kakashi winced internally as he began to fabricate his lie. "You are the first one in many generations whose bond with nature was so strong that none of the Clan's familiars would bond with you." Naruto nodded as Kakashi began his deception. "Because of that, the increase in your natural bloodlust is bound to be heightened more than normal when you use your clan's techniques." Kurama rose from Naruto's shoulders, and gave a low sound of agreement. Naruto frowned at his partner, before nodding and scratching the fox lightly behind the ear.

"Then…what do I do? If I can only use my clan techniques during training, they won't be much use when I actually have to face an opponent…" Kakashi smiled at the boy, and pointed to his hands.

"Your hands are scarred slightly from your wind training I think…I don't know if you realized it, but you are about to master channeling wind chakra through your hands and into your arrows. Once you do that, you will be able to engage from a distance, without having to close with an opponent." Naruto nodded, and frowned at his hand.

"Kakashi-sensei, I think keeping your Sharingan hidden is starting to hurt your vision…my hands are fine." Naruto held up an unblemished palm to the neutral face of his teacher. Kakashi blinked once as he looked at the boy's hand.

'It's already healed…but that wasn't even a minute or more, and those scrapes were numerous…he has a healing factor from the nine-tails…' Kakakashi coughed once, and smiled at his charge.

"My mistake! But my point still stands, if you can master channeling elemental chakra into your bow, you will be a force to reckon with. I also promise that, once we are given a proper amount of time, I will help train you in emotional control, so that you can utilize your family's jutsu more effectively. Until then, your wind jutsu and bow skills should be more than sufficient in any battle you find yourself in..."

Naruto smiled at that, and nodded to Kakashi. Kakashi rubbed the boy's hair again while smiling at him. "Come on, the others are waiting on us. Once we get back, I'll give you first shift for watch. There are a number of things I'm sure you want to think over." Naruto held his spot on the ground, and shook his head slowly.

"I've got one more question…I…I can't seem to get the image of the dead man out of my head. How…how am I supposed to move on after I saw what I did?" Kakashi sighed as he looked at the boy. 'He's got a lot of you in there sensei…'

"There's a quote that my sensei passed down to me when I was dealing with my first kill. It seems harsh at first, but by remembering those who have fallen by our hands, we ensure that their memories live on. In doing so, we accept our duty as shinobi and protect our hearts as people." Naruto looked on, focused on the silver haired Jounin.

"My sensei said, 'You should never avert your eyes from death. Never forget the lives you take, because they will never forget you.'" Naruto stiffened at the words, and he could see the boy wincing as the memories came back in a rush.

"I…think I understand. Thanks for letting me have first watch tonight. Give me a second to collect my arrows and I'll join you." Kakashi nodded and watched as Naruto ran over to the nearby tree and began pulling them from the trunk. Kakashi then noted just how far into the tree the boy's shots had penetrated.

'He's making them go halfway through trees now…not much longer, and he'll have that wind chakra mastered…' Kakashi smiled when Naruto ran over and joined him, guiding him back to the campsite.

xXxXxXx

Sakura and Sasuke stood over the sleeping form of Tazuna, both still wound up from the day's events.

"Do you think Naruto is going to be okay?" Sakura's voice floated in the night to Sasuke, and the boy once more felt a tremor ghost through his right hand.

"He'll be fine. He was a bit vicious earlier, but he'll be back to the old Naruto before we know it." Sasuke pulled his tanto from his belt and cleaned it, checking over the blade for dents or dings from his battle. Checking for stilled bits of blood from his opponent. 'Why does it bother me so much right now…I know that I needed to kill that ninja, and I know I'll have to kill Itachi someday, but why does it bother me now?'

Sakura noticed Sasuke's movements and frowned. "Your blade is fine Sasuke." Sasuke blinked, realizing that he had been caught. The boy smoothly returned it to his sheath, grinning slightly at Sakura.

"You know, you've come a long way since we first met. It's only been a month, but thanks to Anko, Hana, and Kakashi, I'd say you're almost tolerable to associate with." Sakura scoffed lightly at the remark, having recently grown accustomed to Sasuke's sarcasm.

"You know, I have to say that I've also come to find Naruto tolerable as well. He's competent, and has a drive for his future." Sasuke turned and gave a slight grin to Sakura. "What about your drive for the future, has it changed?" Sakura was a bit taken aback by the change in topic, but she nodded slightly.

"The battle today…it reminded me why I originally wanted to become a ninja…it was to escape the bonds my parents had placed upon me…ones I knew would never leave unless I did so." Sasuke felt his eyebrows arch slightly at the girls response.

'Sakura never talks about her family…for that matter, I know next to nothing about them…that's odd considering she chased after me fairly intensely when we were in the academy, as she would always tell me useless things about herself…' Sakura seemed to swallow heavily in the growing silence, turning eyes of fear towards Sasuke.

"My parents…they told me when I was young that we were a poor family…that we had many debts that needed to be settled. If I couldn't manage to pay my own way once I became thirteen, they were going to sell me to one of the managers in the red light district." Sakura felt her voice crack as she related her past to another person. She had never told anyone of this, as the closest she had to a real friend was her rival, Ino. 'I don't think I can tell him that I think I'm a foster child…I don't want him to know that yet…'

Sasuke for his part felt his grip on his tanto tighten, surprised that he felt angry at what her parents had stated. 'This is why she hasn't told me…she didn't want the story about her family to be seen as a ploy for getting close to me. She knows I don't care for sympathy stories, so it was not useful to her. And it could only benefit those who would want to curry my favor by damaging her in my eyes.' Sasuke relaxed his grip as he noticed Sakura recover herself a little bit.

"That's why I wanted to become a ninja…ninja can get paid from when they are young, and can even earn enough on dangerous missions to pay off almost any debt." Sakura's voice had reclaimed some strength, though the girl still seemed weakened by her confession. 'They also can protect themselves from those that would harm or abuse them…like my foster parents.'

"Sounds like we'll be working together then," Sasuke's comment had Sakura looking up in confusion. "I intend to take on as many dangerous missions as I can. I need to get stronger to achieve my goals in life, and after seeing how Naruto fought today, I realized that allies could be useful in those attempts." Sakura found Sasuke's eyes seeking out her own. Onyx drilled into emeralds as the two stared at each near the dying embers. "Will you help me with my goals, Sakura, as I help you with yours?"

'This is exactly the moment I would have wanted in the academy…' Sakura felt her breath hitch as she looked over the tense and imposing form of her teammate. The moonlight added to the effect, enhancing the angles and planes of the boy's face. '…and yet, I can't help feeling some dread at accepting. Is it because I know more about him now…' Sakura felt herself wonder as she bit her lip lightly and nodded, unwilling to trust her voice.

Sasuke seemed to smirk at that, and nodded in acceptance of her answer. '…no, it's because he won't stop until he gets there. And because, even though we may become allies, Sasuke still cares more about his goals than he does about Naruto or me.' Sakura felt her thoughts derail as Kakashi and Naruto returned to the clearing.

"We head out at first light. Naruto and Kurama will take the first watch, followed by Sakura, Sasuke, and then myself. Sasuke, a moment if you will?" Sasuke shrugged in acceptance and followed Kakashi to a side of the clearing. "How are you holding up from your kill?" Sasuke nodded to Kakashi, his hand ghosting towards his tanto once more.

"I'm fine, except for the odd tremor in my hand and a desire to have my tanto close to hand." Kakashi nodded at the description, recognizing the normal trauma reaction.

"That's quite ordinary. Try to keep from reaching to it too much, as it can distract you from paying attention to your surroundings." Sasuke nodded at the advice, his face a neutral mask. "What about your emotions during the kill? What did you feel when you took the man's life?" Sasuke blinked, his face scrunching up in confusion.

"I didn't feel anything besides amazement. It was amazingly easy, but beyond that, I felt nothing." Kakashi nodded to that as well, though he was frowning inwardly.

'It will be problematic if Sasuke becomes so isolated from the act…that's the way that Itachi was said to act right before the massacre…' Kakashi plastered a smile on his face to hide his concern. "Well, that's to be expected. There's obviously going to be some disbelief the first time a kill is made, so don't let that bother you too much. However, I would recommend you try and remember those who you have killed. Keeping their memory alive inside of you helps you to keep some of your personal sanity." Sasuke seemed to frown at this, but nodded none-the-less.

"Get some rest Sasuke, your shift will come sooner than you think." Sasuke nodded to Kakashi and proceeded to his bedroll. As Sasuke drifted off, he caught the image of Naruto standing resolutely against the darkness, his back illuminated by the dying embers.

'Heh…maybe Naruto will help me with my goal. Sakura has already agreed to help, and I can probably bend her to my will easily enough. But things would be better with someone as vicious as Naruto to help out with my goals.'

xXxXxXx

Several days passed as Naruto and his team approached the country of Wave. As they did, Naruto could literally feel the air changing with the scent of the ocean. Eventually, they approached a bay where a man was waiting for Tazuna.

"I'm the guy that's going to ferry you across…Names Temu. Once we start across, keep your voices low, so as not to give away our presence. It's going to take a little while as we will have to go in silently." The group nodded in agreement and hopped into the small ferry barge. As they made their way across, Naruto noticed the thick rolling mists of the oceans, and the change of the sea breeze.

"What a thick mist…it's hard to make out anything in this…" Naruto nodded at Sakura's comment, frowning as he realized that the salt air was throwing off his scent of smell.

"We should see the bridge soon. The entrance to wave country is at the base of the bridge." Temu's voice drifted quietly over the group, reminding them of the need to keep quiet.

The entire group of Konoha shinobi looked up in concern as a form started to materialize from out of the mist.

"Holy…" Naruto drifted off, his voice quiet as he took in the awe inspiring sight of the massive bridge.

"Yes, Holy indeed for the land of Waves. So let's keep our entrance Holy, and Silent. Shall we?" Temu's voice chided the group as he continued to bring the ferry closer to their docking point. "Anyways, we'll be there soon. Just in case, we'll take the route with vegetation. It will make it harder for enemies to spot us as we approach." Tazuna gave his thanks to the man as they approached an archway that led underneath the massive bridge.

Naruto felt his eyes go wide as he took in the scenery of Wave. Trees were growing straight out of the water, and twisting in ways that Naruto had never seen before. The shops and houses of the country were built on islands that seemed to sprout out of the water, and there was a misty blanket covering everything. The sight was breathtaking, and mysteriously beautiful.

Following along the side of trees, Temu brought the boat up to a dock that was obscured from view three directions. As the group disembarked, Temu turned and nodded to Tazuna. "This is it for me. Goodbye and good luck." Tazuna thanked the man once more as the group headed into the mist of Wave country.

"Ok, now all you guys have to do is get me home safely." Tazuna's voice made Kakashi slouch slightly as the group walked through the mist.

'Naruto was right earlier…the next set of ninja will be better, and have superior numbers or training…nothing is ever easy.'

As the group walked into a clearing, Naruto suddenly tensed up and stopped walking. The rest of the team turned and looked at the blonde, even as Kurama also jumped off of Naruto's shoulders.

"There's someone here. I'm not quite sure where they are at, but they are here." Kakashi felt his muscles stiffen slightly, before going completely lax. Naruto pulled an arrow from his quiver, and Kakashi watched with pride as both Sasuke and Sakura drew their respective weapons.

Naruto turned and fired in a direction quickly, his bow snapping hard from the draw. There was no sound from the direction the arrow impacted, but Kakashi felt his senses spike in response to the presence of chakra usage. Naruto also perked up, and flushed out a pulse of chakra to check his surroundings. When he did, his eyes suddenly went wide.

xXxXxXx

'So…these are the brats that took out the Mist Brothers…not to mention the legendary Kakashi Hatake, the Copycat Ninja.' Zabuza hefted his blade, preparing to throw it into the clearing. 'To be able to pick up on me from a distance, as well as having an animal partner, I have an Inuzuka to contend with as well. The scent of smell on those bastards is annoying as hell too…' Zabuza shrugged as he prepared his blade, and then hurled it with all his might. 'Still, a sense of smell is nowhere near useful enough to stop me from killing my target.'

xXxXxXx

"Everybody, get down!" Kakashi grabbed Tazuna as he forced him to the ground. Sasuke fell flat in an instant, and Sakura was taken to the ground by Naruto. Sakura watched as a blade flew over her head before impacting with a nearby tree. On it, stood a man of nightmares. He was tall, taller than Kakashi-sensei, with short black hair. His face was covered by gauze, and his torso was bare and exposed, revealing rippling and powerful muscles. He wore camouflage leggings, and stripped pants, with similarly camouflaged arm coverings. A Kirigakure headband was wrapped around his head, with the tail ends fluttering in the breeze.

Kakashi was the first to recover among the group, and felt his eyes go wide as he took in the man before him. "Well, well, if it isn't Kirigakure's missing nin, Momochi Zabuza…" Kakashi noticed Naruto pulling an arrow back to fire at the man, and held a hand in front of the boy to hold him back. "Everybody, get back. This one is on a whole different level from the last fight." Zabuza's gaze hardened on the group, and the atmosphere seemed to become filled with bloodlust.

"This is going to be a little difficult, if I don't use this…" Kakashi raised his headband, revealing his Sharingan. Sasuke stiffened at the appearance of the dojutsu, but relaxed his posture, his hand steady on his tanto.

"So…I get to see the Sharingan from right off the bat…I should be flattered I guess." Zabuza turned his hardened gaze on Tazuna and seemed to smile. "Sorry though, the old man is mine." Kakashi noted the movements of his students, and grimaced.

"Surround and protect Tazuna. That's the teamwork here. No matter the circumstances, do not enter the fight." Kakashi revealed his eyes, and smiled as his team did as they were told. Seeing the drawn weapons, and a transformed Kurama surrounding the old man, Kakashi turned his attention on Zabuza.

"What the hell is this Sharingan shit?" Tazuna stood in the center of the kids, and felt his blood begin to race. 'I've never felt such fear before…this is what real ninja are capable of?'

"The Sharingan is a dojutsu that can read an opponent's nin, tai and genjutsu perfectly. It also allows one to copy an opponent's techniques as they are performing them. With Kakashi being this serious, this fight shouldn't last long." Sasuke's voice was steady as he looked out into the mist.

Despite that, Sasuke couldn't help but keep the tremor from running through his hand.

xXxXxXx

Zabuza pushed his blade as hard as he could against Kakashi's flimsy kunai, but the blasted thing refused to move more than an inch toward his opponent's head. "You know, I kept a handbook of information on dangerous opponents when I worked for the Mist's assassination squads. I even kept a note of you in there." Kakashi grunted as he shoved the blade back, trying to close on his opponent. Zabuza merely spun to the side, keeping out of range of the Leaf ninja.

"Gee, how sweet. Sounds like you had a little bit of a fixation on your betters though…" Kakashi goaded, hoping to draw Zabuza off-guard.

Zabuza laughed at the man, and brought his sword between the two of them to block incoming attacks. "It read that you had copied over a thousand techniques, and that your bounty was worth over 30 million ryo. With a head like that, I could fund some of my campaign." Kakashi grimaced as his opponent continued to stay out of range.

'The Sharingan is a drain on my abilities, and Zabuza is known for being a monster of stamina…this is not a good match up, especially with our surroundings…' Kakashi dodged away from a larger than normal swing and continued to press his opponent into retreating.

"Really though, that just makes things easier. I can kill you, and collect your bounty, then finish the old man and get my pay from Gatou…makes things just too easy." Zabuza dodged back out of range, and Kakashi leaped backwards from the man as he landed on a lake.

'Never fight a water user on water…that much I remember from the past wars…' Kakashi stared at his opponent, trying to discern his next maneuver.

Zabuza's chakra spiked sharply, and Tazuna felt his eyes go wide as he saw his would-be murder standing on water. "Hidden Mist Jutsu" As Zabuza's voice fell across the clearing, a rolling mist began to appear that quickly blocked everything from sight.

Kakashi could feel the fear rolling off his students first, and grimaced. "He'll come after me first." Kakashi tried to reassure them, "Momochi Zabuza, when he was loyal to Mist, was known as an expert in silent killing." Kakashi pulled an extra kunai from his pouch, giving him one in each hand to work with.

"Naruto, it's going to be up to you to smell or sense his approach. That's your job to make sure everyone gets through this in one piece." Naruto swallowed hard at Kakashi's words, but nodded. "His skill is so great, it will be difficult to notice your demise before it's too late. On top of that, this Sharingan of mine is borrowed in a sense, so I'm still not the best at using it." Kakashi grimaced at his lie internally. 'Hopefully Zabuza will buy that the Sharingan can still pierce the mist…If not, I'm in a really bad spot.'

Naruto fired out a chakra burst reflexively, trying to pinpoint Zabuza. His eyes widened in surprise when the return came back to him. "Kakashi-sensei…my sense of smell and chakra sensing…this mist is obscuring them. I'm…I'm not going to be able to sense him..." Naruto's voice was filled with dread, and it did nothing to quiet the nerves of his teammates. Kakashi grimaced and fought to keep his muscles loose. It would be tantamount if he was to react in time.

"_Eight choices…" _The disembodied voice of Zabuza drifted over the clearing, making all of the Konoha shinobi turn fearful eyes around them. _"Liver, lungs, spine, clevical vein, neck vein, brain, kidneys and heart…which one should I go after?" _The shaking in Sasuke's hand grew even heavier, and Naruto's hands seemed to ache as they stood there, waiting for the slightest indication.

'This is a battle between Jounin! The killing intent is so malevolent…I feel like I want to die now just to make it end…the feeling alone could drive anyone crazy…'

Kakashi felt the smallest of movements through the connection of his feet to the ground and slammed his fingers together in the ram seal, readying his chakra for a Body Flicker. "Sasuke, don't worry…I'll protect you guys even if it kills me."

Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, and Tazuna all smiled at that, the simple words from Kakashi enough to quell some of the mounting tension. "I don't let my comrades die." Kakashi said, looking back towards the group.

"_**We'll see about that!"**_ Zabuza was suddenly in the middle of the group, his blade drawn and poised to strike.

A sudden move to swing caused Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura to dodge out of the way, drawing their weapons to fire. Before they could though, an image blurred into the group, and Zabuza was caught with a blade extending from where his heart should be. Rather than bleeding out though, the blade dripped with water before Zabuza exploded into liquid.

A second form rose behind Kakashi, and Naruto had only a split second to cry out a shout of warning. Zabuza's blade seemed to move in slow motion for the group as it spun in the air, connecting squarely with Kakashi and slicing him in half…only for Kakashi to also burst into a puddle of water.

'There's no way…' Zabuza felt his eyes go wide and began to doubt his ability to win for the first time in the battle, 'In this mist…he managed to copy my water clone technique!'

"Don't move." Kakashi's blade was poised at Zabuza's neck, and his voice was colder than steel. "It's over Zabuza." Zabuza let out a chuckle at the simple statement, before he broke out in full-blooded laughter.

"It's over? You don't get it yet, do you? There's no way I'm going to lose to a Monkey-See Monkey Do trick…" Zabuza 's voice was even, unfazed by the blade at his throat as he stared hungrily at Tazuna, grinning as the man backed away in fear. "But that was impressive of you…when you reassured your team; you had already switched with a water clone and hidden yourself in the mist…"

Kakashi felt his blood quicken as he noticed a sudden movement behind him. "But…I'm not that easy to kill…" The voice came over Kakashi's shoulder, and he quickly killed the clone in front of him, turning after to face the coming attack. He quickly threw himself to the ground as a giant sword whisked by and sliced off a few silver hairs.

Zabuza planted himself with his sword as it spun past, and turned to give a powerful kick to Kakashi's rising torso. The impact launched the Konoha Jounin out onto the open water nearby. 'Now's my chance!' Zabuza rushed after Kakashi, yanking his sword from the ground, only to come up short as he noticed caltrops scattered on the ground in front of him.

Zabuza didn't even have the moment to growl out his frustrations though when he noticed Kakashi fall into the water of the lake. 'Yes…I love it when things go according to plan…'

Kakashi pulled himself from the water of the lake, reeling from the blow and a dull ache in his ribs. In his addled state though, he still realized that the water of the lake was unusually heavy…

"Heh…fool." Zabuza's voice behind Kakashi had the man flinching in surprise. _**"Water Prison Jutsu!"**_

'Damn!' Kakashi pressed his chakra against his impending destruction as he felt himself sealed inside a shell of water.

"It's tougher when you can't move you know?" Zabuza noticed that Kakashi seemed to be holding some of the prison back, giving him a small pocket of air. "Oh, but you're trying to hold out long enough to fight me…too bad for you, my chakra in the seven swordsman was second only to Kisame Hoshigaki." Zabuza chuckle as he saw the look of worry flight across Kakashi's face.

"Don't worry though, we'll get a chance to finish things later. First, I'm going to take care of your little pest problem." Zabuza used one hand to form the necessary seal for creating a water clone, and watched in satisfaction as one rose from the water. Zabuza did frown though as he noticed that the three genin were all drawing weapons to bring to bear on him.

"All of you damn brats…wielding those weapons like you know how to use them…until you've dyed your hands in the blood of hundreds, I'll not call you ninja." Zabuza took in the remaining opponents, and decided quickly on his target. 'That long range bow could be a problem…best to take that out first.'

In a blur, the man disappeared from sight, laying into Naruto with a powerful kick that sent the boy reeling. Kakashi pushed his chakra to its utmost at the sight, unable to face the idea of losing both Sasuke and Naruto.

"Take Tazuna and run! None of you stand a chance against this guy! As long as he has me trapped he can't move from this prison," Kakashi struggled against the tightening of the water prison, forcing it to give him a bit more time to talk, "The water clone can't go far from his real body, so just run away now!" Zabuza's clone flashed in front of the downed Naruto, who was just beginning to recover.

"Like I'll let you go that easily…" Zabuza's sword flashed down toward the boy, but he was suddenly pushed away hard by an impact of air.

"How'd you like the taste of my Air Bullet Jutsu, huh you bastard?" Naruto was panting on the ground, his breath coming in gasps from obviously damaged ribs. 'Thanks Kakashi-sensei…you distracted him long enough for me to get that attack ready…'

"Not bad kid…but still not good enough…" Naruto groaned when he saw that Zabuza had used the flat of his blade to just get pushed back from the impact. "…now though, I'm really going to kill you…" Naruto grimaced and quickly pulled an arrow taught. Just before Zabuza was about to move, a water bullet impacted near him, forcing him back, and then back again as a fireball soared past that.

"You brats…are damned annoying!" Zabuza's clone began to form hand seals, far faster than any of the kids could keep up with. They could however feel the building chakra, and knew they would not be able to do dodge the next attack.

"Sasuke, Sakura, get out of here with the old man!" Naruto flashed through the seals for his All Fours Jutsu, and felt his chakra spike appreciatively.

"We're not leaving you behind Naruto!" Sakura's voice carried across the clearing, but it was obvious that the large water bullet had drained her significantly.

"Damn it! Just go! I've got a plan to deal with this bastard, and if you're here, it'll only get more complicated!" Naruto's voice was downright malevolent as he felt the feel of his primal chakra take over.

"Sakura, Naruto's right, we need to get out of here. Don't let his sacrifice be in vain!" Sasuke grabbed the girl with one hand and began pulling on Tazuna with the other.

"You brats aren't going anywhere!" Zabuza's voice was a roar as water erupted behind him, giving birth to three hydras of pure water. The beasts of chakra and nature howled once before crashing towards the genin.

"Howling Shot: Gatsuuga Arrow" A large whining noise cut through the clearing, and suddenly Naruto was on the other side of clearing, having a perfect angled shot on the incoming dragons. From his bow came a spinning arrow, its tail fluttering red in the breeze and its form blurred by powerful winds that were whipped into a drilling point. It pierced the first dragon, and sliced through the second, before Naruto's grin dominated most of his face. "Boom."

An explosion rocked the clearing, and Zabuza's jutsu was effectively disrupted. Naruto stood on the side of the field, panting as he tried to stand. 'Damn…that move is a real drain on chakra…and I'm still not that good at converting my chakra to wind nature…' The boy grinned weakly as he looked over the ruined clearing. '…still, pretty damn good for a second-best…'

Before Zabuza's clone could recover, a second image of the boy that had just ruined his jutsu came charging towards him, spinning in a tight spiral that seemed to roar with added wind. Zabuza's clone was dispersed from the impact, and the spiral ended to reveal a grinning boy with red eyes and darkened fang marks adorning his face. After the attack, the boy sped back off into the woods near Tazuna, and disappeared from the battle.

'That kid…he might be as strong as Haku…' Zabuza shook off his thoughts in time to see an incoming projectile from the remaining genin of Kakashi's squad. Zabuza smirked as he created another clone to stop and catch the first, but felt his eyes widen appreciatively when a second fuma shuriken came racing towards him.

"Pretty good brats…" Zabuza jumped over the attack to smirk at them from mid-air, "but nowhere near good eno—GUH!" Zabuza felt a kunai latch into his arm that was connected to the water prison, and he howled in rage as the jutsu stopped. His eyes landed on those of the pink haired girl, her gaze calculating as she smirked at him. 'She managed to calculate my exact position before that set of Shuriken was thrown, then adjusted her aim and timed it so I would miss the incoming attack…that one's definitely as smart as Haku is…' Zabuza's eyes drifted over to the other boy in the clearing, '…and to throw two fuma shuriken in a shadow dance so well at his age, that one has the same amount of talent…'

Kakashi rose from the water, panting as he stared at Zabuza. "Looks like my 'brats' did pretty well, doesn't it?" Zabuza scoffed at the man, but smiled none-the-less.

"Hey, you eyebrow-less freak! Put this in your handbook! The future Hokage of Konoha, and brat that just beat your killer jutsu is Inuzuka Naruto! Remember it!" Naruto seemed to have recovered from the vast expenditure of chakra already, and had an arrow cocked back already.

'That brat's not as useless as I first thought…' Tazuna stared at Naruto appreciatively, as the air around the boy began to whir and howl.

"Sorry kid, but you're still too green to get in my notebook." Zabuza refocused his attention on Kakashi, and smiled as mist settled over the water. "So, what'll it be Kakashi? Stay and fight me in here, or head out and put your target at further risk?" Kakashi heard the draw of steal against the ground, and felt his eyes widen. "Better hurry…they had one lucky shot and now my clone will be taking them seriously…"

xXxXxXx

"I have to admit, you three did very well…though pinky there needs to learn how to be a bit more bloodthirsty…" Zabuza's eyes scrolled over to Naruto and smirked. "You can drop the arrow kid…you aren't going to fire when you can't control that attack too well and can't risk hitting your sensei…" Naruto growled at the man, and kept his bow fixated on his target.

"Fair enough I guess…though since I'm a clone you're wasting a lot of chakra…still, it should be fun to get some kills in on kids again…it's been so long since my good old academy days…" Sakura stiffened as she looked at the man, and Zabuza's clone only smirked.

"Oh yes, you probably don't know about the old exams…in Mist, we used to have the tradition, where in order to graduate a ninja cadet had to kill one of his fellow students in combat…at least until my year…" Zabuza smiled as he saw questioning looks flit across both Sasuke and Sakura's faces.

"What happened then?" Sasuke's voice was even, though the tremor in his hand gave away his trepidation.

"Oh, it was a grand time. I ended the tradition that year…" Zabuza smiled at the confused look on the young faces surrounding him, "…I ended it, by murdering my entire graduating class…" Zabuza's grin was evident through his bandages, and Sasuke and Sakura felt their stomachs plummet at the new information.

"That's enough talk! Or did you forget the last time I fired one off!" Naruto's bow twanged harshly, and Zabuza dodged to the side, only to see Naruto's smile grow wide. "Howling Arrow: Wind Burst" A sudden explosion of wind came from where the arrow had landed, knocking the water clone off balance and pushing away a majority of the mist covering the lake.

'Damn brat!' The clone moved to kill Naruto, but suddenly found a chain wrapping around his sword arm and across his torso before planting into the ground, holding him in place.

"We may not have as many kills as you, but we have enough to know how to get the job done." Sasuke sneered as his tanto ripped into the chest of the water clone, dispelling it in an instant. Sasuke turned to help Sakura to her feet, who had fallen when the resistance against her whip was suddenly removed. Sasuke then looked over to Naruto to get a thumbs-up from the boy who was panting on the ground, barely able to hold his head up.

'That bow and arrow of his is quite the powerhouse…' Sasuke thought, a slight tremor of jealousy running through him.

xXxXxXx

Kakashi dodged yet another volley of Shuriken, but felt himself smile for the first time since the mist had returned. His opponent was fast, and deadly, but he had apparently still underestimated Kakashi's team. The mist surrounding the lake had just been blasted away, courtesy of Naruto, and Kakashi was left standing face to face with the Demon of the Mist.

Kakashi grinned evilly at his opponent, who was very unfortunate to have just been readying a coup de grace in close. "You're within my range, Zabuza…and my eyes can now clearly see your death…" Zabuza scoffed at the man, and tried to jump back, only for Kakashi to follow and keep him close at hand.

"Keep talking Hatake…there's no way that your kids can reach us out here…or had you not noticed how far I've gotten you away from Tazuna…" Kakashi frowned at the man, and slashed his kunai out at him, closing in and engaging against the man's massive cleaver.

"Let's see who's been leading who, shall we?" Zabuza grunted in reply and jumped back harshly from Kakashi, his hands a blur as they whipped through seal after seal. The mist nin was horrified to see Kakashi copying him perfectly, matching every movement of his own. Two water dragons roared to life and clashed against one another, showering the area in their detritus.

Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto jumped back from the water's edge, horrified at the power of attacks they were witnessing.

'That many seals…and so fast…I have to unlock my Sharingan, it's the only way to catch Itachi!' Sasuke was fixated on the fight, watching Kakashi's movements in particular. Sasuke watched as Kakashi rushed back into the man's guard again, trying to score a hit against the mist nin.

Zabuza threw Kakashi back, and frowned in distaste. 'It's strange…ever since the mist lifted…' Zabuza moved around Kakashi, trying to cut him off, only for the man to mirror his actions. 'He's completely copied all of my movements…almost as if he was….'

"Reading my thoughts." Kakashi's voice called out over the water, and Zabuza felt a chill run up his spine.

'What? Did he read my mind! There's no way that...' Zabuza's gaze fell on Kakashi's eye, and his face tightened in a snarl. 'That damn eye…'

"Is really starting to piss me off!" Kakashi's voice even began to match Zabuza's at this point, and the mist nin felt his ire grow. "Right?" Kakashi's cocky voice was all it took to have Zabuza ready to tear the man to shreds.

"Heh, all you're doing is copying me!" Zabuza's voice was angry, but he still held a veneer of control.

"All you're doing is copying me, you monkey bastard!" As both voices cried out, Zabuza felt his eyes widen. Behind Kakashi, he could see an image begin to take shape. Fearing what it could be, Zabuza began to flash through hand signs at an even faster rate.

"Damn you! I'll make sure that monkey-eye of yours is shut forever!" Zabuza stiffened as the shadowy image behind Kakashi took on his likeness. 'That's not possible! This has to be an illusion!'

As the thought raced through Zabuza's head, Kakashi finished a final seal ahead of the Mist nin. "Water Explosion Jutsu!" Water raced towards Zabuza and lifting him off his feet.

"That's impossible!" Zabuza shouted as he was carried across the water and back towards the shore by a rushing wave. 'I'm performing the jutsu, and yet I can't keep up!'

Zabuza impacted harshly with a tree, and felt his spine jar against the impact. Seconds later, kunai impacted all of his limbs near the major arteries, and Kakashi appeared in a tree above him.

"It's over…" Kakashi's simple statement had Zabuza looking up in fear at the man.

"…How? Can you see the future?" Zabuza gasped out through the pain, regarding Kakashi with wide eyes.

"Yeah…you're going to die." Kakashi readied a kunai for the killing blow, staring hard into Zabuza's eyes.

Before he could move, two senbon came out of nowhere and skewered Zabuza in the neck. Shocked eyes turned in the direction of a young shinobi, who had landed on the tree opposite Kakashi. He had a white porcelain mask, with the symbol for the mist village on his forehead. "Hehe…you're right he's dead." The shinobi jumped to the ground and out of the trees foliage, giving everyone a clear view of his outfit.

He was dressed in an aqua colored kimono with an off-white trim, tied loosely around the waist with a green and brown obi. Underneath was a moss green striped turtleneck sweater, with a matching colored skirt that ended at the knees. Straight black hair was kept in a bun at the back of the head, and two braids on either side were stopped by metal beads. Light brown, strapped platoon sandals completed the ensemble. Kakashi nodded to the boy, and casually approached the body, his eyes never leaving the crouching form.

'He really is deadly…' Kakashi thought, as he found that Zabuza's pulse was completely non-existent. As Kakashi looked over the form of the hunter-nin, and guessed him to be around the age of his students, '…and after Zabuza at that age…not a normal kid.' Kakashi looked over his group, and saw Naruto panting tiredly, Sasuke looking not too worse for wear and Sakura plain exhausted. He frowned lightly at the girl's state. 'I need to get her reserves up quickly...'

'Then again, I'm not much better myself…maybe it's best to let this guy take the body…' Kakashi nodded to the masked man and returned to his group. Sasuke looked up at the hunter nin with a scowl on his face, and Kakashi sighed tiredly.

"Let it go Sasuke…with as wiped as I am, a fight against this kid would end in failure. I know it's hard to accept, but in this world there are those younger than you that are stronger than me." Sasuke seemed to only glare harder at the foreign shinobi, largely brushing off Kakashi's words.

"Sasuke, right now all we have to worry about is getting Tazuna back to his house." Sasuke seemed to scoff at that, but nodded once he saw the foreign shinobi ferry Zabuza away. With the foreign ninja gone, the mood seemed to lighten considerably as Tazuna burst into laughter.

"Super thanks you guys! Come over to my house and relax for a while, alright?" The group smiled at Tazuna's words, and Kakashi felt the world get lighter as he brought his headband down over his eye.

"Huh, what's wrong?" Sakura noticed Kakashi start to fall towards the ground, but a short blur later, the man was caught around the shoulders by Naruto.

"Oh…thanks Naruto. Say, you wouldn't mind carrying me, would you? I think I overdid it a bit…" Kakashi was surprised when Naruto yipped in return, but couldn't say much as his eyes had already started to close.

xXxXxXx

Kakashi opened his eyes to find himself in a non-descript room. There was no painting on the wall, and a light was rotating overhead. 'Well, I'm not bound and gagged, and I seem to be laying down…guess they made it to the house alright…'

"Ah, you're awake!" A female voice that Kakashi did not recognize reached his ears, and the man turned his head just enough to bring a tall woman, with long black hair into view. "We were worried about you, you've been out for quite some time." Kakashi blinked at the mention of others, and saw his students sitting nearby. Sakura had a bowl of uncooked rice in one hand, and Naruto and Sasuke had a leaf grasped in each of theirs.

'They trained while they waited for me to wake up…guess that little encounter really shook the lot of them…' Kakashi blinked in surprise at their positions, and noticed how all three of them looked up from their work at the mention of him awakening.

"Are you going to be okay, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto's question was worried, and the boy seemed slightly on edge.

"Yes, I should be fine. I'll need to rest for a week or so, but then I'll be back to full condition." Sakura looked at Kakashi in concern but nodded her head.

"I remember the lectures Hana-sempai gave me on chakra exhaustion. If Naruto and Sasuke help me, I can possibly find some herbs to speed your recovery; maybe get it down to two or three days." Kakashi nodded to Sakura, thankful for the usefulness of the girl's knowledge.

"Well, we don't really have to worry that much do we? I mean we sent that super tough ninja to the great beyond right?" Tazuna's voice was loud and confident, sure that the danger had passed.

"I don't think so…" Sasuke's voice was quiet, but all ears turned towards the boy. "Naruto and I have been discussing what we learned from Kakashi-sensei about hunter teams. We realized that our last-minute savior may not have been what he appeared." Kakashi turned surprised looks towards his two male genin.

"Kakashi-sensei, you and Anko-sempai taught us that when a kill has been made, the body is to be disposed of immediately. Only the head is needed for verification of a kill." Kakashi went stiff in his bed, his eyes shooting wide to stare at his two genin in shock.

"We were all so tired that we missed the signs at the time…" Sakura's voice was low, and full of guilt. 'Naruto and Sasuke both contributed greatly, but I barely had the chakra for one measly water bullet…why are my reserves so pathetic!' Sakura's eyes burned as she held back the tears from falling.

"It's alright Sakura…things like this happen in the life of a shinobi. The important thing is, with Zabuza more damaged than I was, I have the time to bring the skills of all of you up to where I need them." Kakashi turned, and gave Tazuna a sympathetic look from his spot on the floor. "I'm sorry Tazuna-san, but we are going to need you to stay in for the next week. It'll be too dangerous for you to return to work yet." Tazuna merely nodded at this, his mind whirling at the thought that Zabuza had survived the climactic battle he had seen.

"So…what are we going to do in the meantime? We have tree climbing down, and we can already perform some ninjutsu…I doubt an extra week will add much to our power in combat." Kakashi smirked at Naruto, seeing him start to question Kakashi's abilities as a teacher.

"Well, I have just the thing to get you three ready in a week." Kakashi smiled as he saw the looks on all of their faces light up. "This is normally passed down much later in a genin's career, but I think it's time you learned two of the higher level skills. The first is going to be learning how to walk on water," Kakashi smiled to himself as Tazuna and his daughter blanched at his brazen declaration, "and the second will be learning the infamous body flicker." Kakashi smiled to himself as he saw his trio of genin burst out in grins of excitement.

"Sounds like fun. I can't wait to get started." Sasuke's voice held all the swagger of the Uchiha in it, bringing a small smile to his lips.

xXxXxXx

Alright, there we go, that's it for this one. Well, classes start tomorrow, so I won't have a lot of time to publish more for a while. Expect one once every two weeks or so, but this is going rather well. This chapter seemed to drag a bit, but I'm mostly happy with how it worked out. Now then, onto the new jutsu section, as there were some that haven't been seen in canon before in here! First up…

Howling Arrow: Gatsuuga shot B-ranked Ninjutsu. Naruto channels wind chakra into his arrow, and at the same time spirals it up the shaft, similar to a Gatsuuga. When the shot is released, the wind chakra enhances the speed of the arrow, and the spiral of the Gatsuuga pulls it into a sharp cone behind. When this is combined with an explosion of sufficient force, it can create truly powerful explosion. However, due to the amount of control required, Naruto tends to take longer than necessary to ready the shot, and tends to have trouble controlling the aim. In addition, as he is not very efficient yet at converting his general chakra into wind chakra, he is left exceedingly drained after firing off even one arrow.

Howling Arrow: Wind Burst B-ranked Ninjutsu. Similar to the Gatsuuga shot version, except that Naruto forces the wind chakra into a tight envelope around the arrow. This envelope is not meant to cut, but rather blow sharply out in all directions upon impact with any surface. It has a similar strength to a Fuuton: Diatoppa, but as it can be directed to a given area with the bow and arrow, it is considered slightly more efficient. That being said, the sheer amount of wind chakra needed to generate a Fuuton:Diatoppa effect in multiple directions is exceedingly draining and wasteful of chakra. Without the use of the All Fours Jutsu to boost Naruto's reserves slightly, he is not able to perform these two techniques successively due to their excessive drains on his reserves.

Wind Release: Wind Claws D-ranked Ninjutsu. Adds a short, sharpened edge of wind along a user's hands. Does not require hand seals, but does require at least rudimentary control over the wind element. Can be used to cut through materials as tough as regular steel, but cannot damage chakra enhanced steel or elemental fortifications easily (i.e. will not tear through a giant rock wall or cut through a Water Release: Water Encampment Wall). However, as the claws are small enough to not make largely audible noise, they can be a very surprising attack for an unprepared opponent.

As for Naruto getting these two down, along with Wind Claws and Wind Bullet, that's mostly due to the fact that he has the chakra, and the recovery time to train at a very heightened pace. Sakura does not have the same reserves or recovery time, so she has only been able to master the Water Bullet and Hidden Mist technique. Combine that with her also needing to learn rudimentary first aid, herbology, and master her whip, and the girl just has a lot of directions at the moment. A jack of all trades is a master of none though, and it is showing for her character at the moment.

Sasuke didn't really get a chance to shine too much in his fight though, which saddened me. I can't wait to write his badass fighting sequence though, as it is going to go much differently from the last time he and Haku went toe to toe. I also am concerned with how I wrote his reaction in this bit, it seemed to match, but I still feel kind of iffy on the whole thing. I'm trying to work inside the fact that he's supposed to have both an inferiority and superiority complex; he can't accept anyone better than him, and anyone who is not is merely an annoyance or a tool for his usage. However, I am trying to have him open up, at least slightly to Sakura and Naruto. Tell me how I'm doing on this front…

Sakura also is a concern area, as I've had a couple comments that by giving her a sad past, I am ruining the foil for Naruto and Sasuke's tragic upbringing. While that is true, I've tried to trade Naruto's sad past with a happy upbringing, so he can take over that foil position. Further, I'm trying to make it so that Sakura shows how a bad past, even given bad goals and dreams, can come to a positive ending. Naruto is going to mirror that, and show a good beginning, rough middle (read exceedingly rough…it's going to get much worse than this chapter) and a matured ending (not good, not bad, but somewhere in between). Sasuke is going to give us the counter to both, which is a life of hardship, fraught with bad decisions/desires, that leads to an ultimately terrible end (while avoiding emo-town).

Before signing off, I want to throw a couple of shout outs. First is to Orange-kun, who has been helping me with a side project for this story. I'll bring them in when I have a chance, but for now, it remains to be seen how this addition will play out. Second is to PenguinX, who I have shared a few good emails with and has helped me come up with some better plot devices for down the line. Thanks you guys, your help is seriously making this fic a lot better! Last shout out is to the inspiring author who got me this far, and who I feel a debt to thank again before I wrap up for the night: Kenchi618, your writing inspires me to work hard and keep at it. If you have the time, go give his stories a read. There's a reason almost all of them are in the Best Naruto Fic community (stories with over 1000 reviews that are plain badass)!

That being said, I'm going to give the last sign out and say I hope to see you all in a few weeks. School is coming for me, and may the teachers have mercy on my homework adverse soul. Til next time, READ AND REVIEW!


	7. Chapter 7 : Dead as a Dog II

Chapter time! So, on a note from a few of the reviews out there, I know I'm not making the pairings exactly clear in the fic, and I have to say to those that are wondering out there…keep wondering. If I reveal the pairs, it loses some of the momentum I think those pairings could have. By keeping the matches under wraps, it lets me build suspense, and that's a writers bread and butter! So, no, not telling who's going with who. Want to know, keep reading! Only thing I can promise is that there will be no harem or yaoi/yurii, as I am inexperienced in writing both, and if I wanted to do them, I'd want to do them right. Sorry, but I'm not budging on that note.

Some things to keep in mind about canon: there was never an established connection between Nagato and the Uzumaki line, so there is in fact no connection to the Rinnengan through the Uzumaki line. Secondly, yeah, the Sharingan does develop to the Rinnengan. For those who haven't read the most recent manga, I won't say which Uchiha managed it, but it does happen. The Uzumaki's connection to the Senju gave them a powerful life force and chakra, and Kushina and Naruto have showed those countless times, so I think that's all the Senju got out of the deal (kind of screwed up if you ask me, but hey…)

Naruto not being the chakra horse that he was in canon: chakra comes from mental and physical experiences. Naruto in canon had a crap ton of both as a kid (planning pranks, and constantly training on his own). It is never mentioned that these need to be by the book, just what they must constitute. As such, Naruto has had less time for some of the physical aspects/mental aspects of chakra development in this line as he lives in a family. Family time takes away from chakra building, but makes you a happier person. Tough choice if you ask me…

To Alec McDowell…dude, you hit the nail on the head with so many things that I don't know what to say. Thanks for the awesome review. Some of your concerns will be bared out shortly in this chapter…

On the note of youkai usage: some sleuthing reveals that, for the chakra cloak of the fox, past 4 tails, there is a damaging effect on one's lifespan. However, before that, no damage and just massive power burst. If that can be controlled better, horrendously unstoppably powerful. As recent manga chapters have shown. On a similar note, shadow clones transfer memories, but not muscle memory. No quick way to learn how to fight. However, mass shadow clone battles, if studied properly, can yield good tactical knowledge and planning.

Couple other last minute shout outs: Ghost Writer Orange-Kun is being particularly helpful through emails. Thank you man! Also, Kakashi's quote from Minato was pretty much ripped from Solf J. Kimblee in FMA. Now, Minato is talking about the positive side of that quote, but if you want a trip down psychopath lane, go read on Kimblee's line of thinking. Dude is a nutter, but has some great lines.

That being said…I own nothing but the original stuff!

xXxXxXx

"Well, I have just the thing to get you three ready in a week." Kakashi smiled as he saw the looks on all of their faces light up. "This is normally passed down much later in a genin's career, but I think it's time you learned two of the higher level skills. The first is going to be learning how to walk on water," Kakashi smiled to himself as Tazuna and his daughter blanched at his brazen declaration, "and the second will be learning the infamous body flicker." Kakashi smiled to himself as he saw his trio of genin burst out in grins of excitement.

"Sounds like fun. I can't wait to get started." Sasuke's voice held all the swagger of the Uchiha in it, bringing a small smile to his lips.

"That's not fun." An apathetic voice cut through the group, getting them to turn as one and stare at a small boy. He was wearing a fishing cap, a turtle-neck shirt, a pair of suspenders and black sandals. He had bandages wrapped around his arms and legs, and an unruly mop of black hair stuck out from under his hat.

"Who the hell is this kid?" Naruto turned a questioning look to his teammates, keeping his voice low. Kurama yipped at the kid, and the boy seemed to back away from the fox. Sasuke and Sakura shrugged in response to Naruto.

"Ohh! Inari! Where were you?" Tazuna called out to the boy, opening his arms wide in a friendly greeting.

"Welcome back grandpa." The boy's voice remained apathetic as he approached and gave a perfunctory hug to the old man. Tazuna smiled and rubbed the boy's head, chuckling to himself as Inari leaned into the embrace.

"Inari, say hello to these people. They are the ninja who protected your grandpa!" Naruto and Sasuke gave the boy questioning looks, but Sakura smiled in a friendly enough way. The looks were returned by a slight glare from the boy.

"Mom, they are going to die." Inari pointed at the group, seemingly oblivious to the looks of outrage that flashed across the members of Team Seven.

"What did you say, you little bastard?" Naruto was on his feet, and Kurama was growling near his ankles. Sakura was trying to hold the boy back, and Sasuke was scowling at Inari. Inari turned to face Naruto squarely, his face set in apathy.

"There's no way you can win against Gatou." The boy's face was set in a stern look, and his response drew quite sighs from Kakashi and Tazuna.

"Sakura, let go of me right now! I'm going to beat some sense into this brat!" Sakura refused to let the boy go, even as Naruto pulled against her.

"You idiot! We signed up to protect Tazuna and his family when we took the contract! Stop getting ticked about a child's tantrum!" Sakura pulled hard, and Naruto fell back on top of her, quickly struggling away and to his feet.

"Listen here, you little brat! We've all got way too much on the line to just give up! Even if that means we have to take Gatou down with only the strength in our arms!" Inari seemed to stiffen at that, and Tsunami and Tazuna exchanged worried glances. A moment later, Inari was flying from the room, tears starting to build in his eyes.

"I'm sorry about that. Inari can be a little sensitive about others standing up to Gatou." Tazuna's voice was filled with sorrow, and he seemed to be staring hard at the floor.

"What happened?" Sasuke's voice was calm and disinterested. Still, the boy was raising an interested eyebrow.

"There was someone Inari looked up to…a man that stood against Gatou. When Gatou had him killed, it affected the boy very harshly." Sasuke seemed to nod at this, understanding the hidden meaning.

"Naruto…maybe you should go talk to the boy again. It might make the living situation more bearable." Naruto sent an annoyed look at Sasuke, but nodded stiffly. A few moments later, Naruto was heading out of the room, grumbling at his luck. Kurama kept pace near Naruto's feet, his tail flicking eagerly.

As Naruto climbed the steps, he heard the faint sound of crying from a few rooms away. Naruto slowed his pace, and tried to pay attention to the sounds.

"Dad…" Naruto stiffened as that one word made it through the rest of the sobs.

'So, the man who stood up to Gatou was his dad…that must be why he doesn't want Tazuna to work on the bridge…' Naruto grimaced, and balled his hands into fists. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Naruto gently rapped on the door frame.

"Go…Go away." Inari's voice was broken, punctuated with an awkward wobbling.

"Sorry, but I really want to talk to you right now. I want to apologize for yelling at you back in there." Inari stiffened at the sound of Naruto's voice, and clutched a picture frame all the tighter to his chest.

"Why would I want to talk to an idiot like you! You're just going to die anyways!" Naruto grimaced at the boy's words, but took a deep breath to calm himself.

"I want to talk to you because I know some of what you went through…" Though Naruto couldn't see it, Inari was sitting bolt upright at that statement.

"What…what do you know?" Inari's voice tried to sound insulting, but it came out as almost pleading.

"I can tell you if you let me in…" Inari clutched at the picture frame, and wiping his eyes, turned to open the door. Naruto smiled down sadly at Inari, and Inari saw a look of understanding there; a look of empathy.

"I know what it's like to lose someone." Naruto's voice washed over Inari, and the boy quietly walked over to look back out at the ocean. "When I was eight, my father, Kegawa, passed away. My older brother Kiba still won't talk to other's about it." Naruto laughed lightly, though it was an obvious attempt at hiding his own pain.

"What happened?" Inari's voice was still rather tenuous, seemingly caught between apathy and curiosity.

"Like Kurama here," Naruto paused to scratch the fox lightly on his head as he lowered himself down next to Inari, "my father was paired with an animal partner. He had a white wolf for a partner, by the name of Yukimaru." Inari seemed to blink in surprise at the fox for the first time, as it coiled itself around Naruto's neck.

"One day, Yukimaru came down with a rare-virus, and it caused him to transform into a vicious, uncontrollable beast." Inari felt his eyes go wide at that, and seemed to regard Kurama with a small note of fear. "My father was unwilling to let Yukimaru be put down by anyone, and said he would take her on his own. Just before he went out though, he told my brother and me something." Inari nodded to Naruto, engrossed in the story.

"He told me that all Inuzuka are family, and that family is a group that will never turn their backs on each other. They will protect one another at all times, and will sacrifice anything to see that their loved ones are safe." Naruto paused to wipe a single tear that had formed in his eyes. "He also said, that like the father protects his children, so must the Hokage protect his village. I dream of protecting everyone in my village Inari, and so I can't fail at protecting your grandfather. What kind of future Hokage would I be if I were to fail now?" Inari looked at Naruto, tears beading in his eyes, before he lunged forward and hugged Naruto around the waist.

"How long…how long does it take until it stops hurting?" Naruto placed his hand on top of the boy's head as Inari sobbed into his chest.

"It depends on how soon you are ready to start moving forward. In my case, it took me a few years to really get over my father's passing. My mom yelled at Kiba and me to worry more about training, but we blew it off instead, choosing to goof off." Naruto chuckled at the memory and wrapped an arm around Inari. "I don't know how long it's been since your dad passed away, but it will take some time." Inari clutched all the harder to Naruto, and cried into his chest.

Sakura, who had crept upstairs, looked in on the scene and smiled lightly. 'He's good with kids too…God, Naruto, you really are a catch…too bad you're not my type. Though, maybe, I can work something out with Tenten for you…' The pink haired girl slipped quietly from the door, the twitching of Kurama's ears the only sign of her passing.

xXxXxXx

A masked shinobi knelt down to examine the body of Zabuza, hands passing over a variety of medical tools. "First, I'll cut the mouth cloth and drain some blood." A scissor tool came quickly to grasp, and proceeded towards the face of the downed killer. Just before the tool could get within cutting distance, Zabuza's hand flashed out and closed around the outstretched implement.

"That's alright. I'll do it myself." Zabuza's eyes flashed open, and his voice was raw as it spoke around lodged senbon in his throat. He looked like a resurrected demon as he stared at his masked accomplice.

"Oh? You've already come back to life. And with such a face too!" Zabuza ignored the comment, forcing himself to sit up and glare at the masked man for a second longer.

"Damn though…you sure are rough." Zabuza growled out, his hand pulling first one, and then the second senbon from his neck. The masked man gasped in surprise at this, giving an almost feminine reaction.

"You're the one being rough on yourself! You really will die if you pull them out like that!" Zabuza continued to ignore his accomplice, rolling his neck and stretching lightly.

"How long are you going to wear that stupid mask, huh?" The enigma chuckled at that, but moved to remove the porcelain covering.

"It reminds me of the old days…" again, the voice was slightly feminine, and filled with nostalgia, "Besides, it was useful for this act." Zabuza grunted in agreement as a feminine face filled his vision, a girl with full pouting lips and gorgeous honey-brown eyes.

"If you were going to put me into a momentary death, you didn't have to aim for my neck…you could have aimed for a safer acupuncture point." The girl just shook her head, smiling lightly at the interplay.

"If I hadn't saved you, you really would have been killed you know?" Zabuza grunted, a light chuckle trailing along afterwards.

"You are annoying, as always, Haku." Haku seemed to brighten at this and smiled lightly.

"You're right! I am annoying sometimes…" Haku blushed raising up a hand to cover her laugh and growing blush. "I just didn't want to scar your beautiful body." Haku's blush only increased and she quickly chattered on to hide it. "Besides, the neck doesn't have much muscle, so it's easier to hit the acupuncture points." Haku's voice fell depreciatively as Zabuza stared at her harshly.

"You shouldn't be able to fight again for about a week, but you'll be able to move again pretty soon." Zabuza kept up his glare on Haku for a second or two more, before smiling and shaking his head.

"Hehe, you're so pure and clever. That's what I like about you…" Zabuza chuckled lightly, letting his guard fall for a moment.

"That's because I'm still just a kid, you know?" Haku blushed at Zabuza, though internally her thoughts about the man were anything but childlike. 'Not for much longer though Zabuza-kun…when will you notice how much I've grown while standing next to you…'

"Look…the mist has cleared." Haku's statements brought Zabuza from his thoughts, turning to stare over the nation's scenery.

"Next time, I will defeat the Sharingan." Zabuza turned and sparred a look towards Haku. "However, those kids are a bit more of a threat than I'd like to admit. While you are skilled in assassination, I have not spent much time training you for direct combat." Zabuza frowned as he looked over Haku.

"On top of that, you'll be busy helping me recover, so you won't have time to train." Zabuza sighed as he took in the worried look of Haku. "I know what you're going to say, but we are stuck working with Gatou until we either get paid in full, or he's killed. So, in the meantime, I need to tell you something important." Haku gave a worried look to her master, a frown marring her face.

"My goal in life was to overthrow the rulership of the third and fourth Mizukage. Neither of them was fit to lead our country, due to their barborous actions. When the time comes, if it comes between my living and your escaping a battle, I want you to escape." Zabuza held up a hand to cut off Haku's protest. "As long as you live, my legacy lives on, and my goals will live on in you. I need you to survive this coming fight Haku, and continue to fight for our countries freedom in my absence." Haku seemed to stiffen at the new request, but nodded gravely.

"Good. Let's get back to the base. I'm sure Gatou will be pleased to hear of our continued services…"

xXxXxXx

Naruto trailed down the stairs, his head shaking lightly from side to side. 'Inari really did go through some of the same things as me…but he still will need some time to heal. Best to let him be for a while I think.'

As Naruto reached the landing, he came across the sight of Sasuke and Sakura creeping closer to Kakashi-sensei's mask. Just as Naruto's foot padded into hearing distance of the white haired shinobi, the man shot his eyes open, scaring the two other genin back and away.

"Ah, good, you're back Naruto! Now then, why don't I explain what we'll be doing from tomorrow!" Kakashi turned to see frightened looks on Sasuke and Sakura, blinking as he gave them a once over. "What's your two's problems?"

"Nothing…nothing Kakashi-sensei." Sakura shook her head from side to side as she patted her chest, trying to calm her heartbeat. _'Cha! If it wasn't for Naruto, Sasuke and I would have gotten to see under that damn mask!' _

"Oh yeah, I forgot, you were going to see if you can find some herb stuff, right?" Sakura blinked but nodded towards Kakashi.

"Yeah, but I talked to Tazuna and Tsunami-san about that. It seems like there is a local area where we could find them, but since it is near to where Gatou's hideout is supposed to be, we probably can't gather any." Kakashi frowned at that, and rubbed his chin in thought.

"Well, there's nothing for it. You're all just going to have to get stronger together, as quickly as possible. So, on that note, we need to get this training down quickly!" Kakashi tried to stand up, only to fall quickly back down once he did so, his face landing painfully on the floor. "Maybe I should use some crutches though…"

xXxXxXx

Haku tensed as she sat next to the reclined form of Zabuza. A sound from near the doorway had put her on guard, and she turned to see Gatou and two of his thugs enter the room. 'Ugh…it's that distasteful Waraji and Zouri…I hate hopped up samurai wanna-be's…' Haku rose to turn and face Gatou as the man imperiously strode into the room.

"So, even you have come back defeated." Gatou sneered at Haku, though his eyes never left the weakened form of Zabuza. "It seems the Mist Village ninja's are quite weak." Gatou's sneer only worsened as he crossed the room. "You call yourself a devil, and yet you can't even avenge your own men." Gatou let out a snort as he reached down towards Zabuza. Before he got too close, Gatou's men intervened, having sensed slight movement from the incapacitated Mist ninja.

"Hold on for a second." Gatou breezed by his guards, causing both men to start in surprise. "I just want to talk to him, boss to employee for a moment. There's no need to stay silent Zabuza." Zabuza opened an eye slowly, coldly regarding Gatou.

"What do you want?" Gatou grunted and crossed his arms in contempt.

"I want to make sure the job gets done. Will you need any of my men for the attack?" Zabuza grunted at the man, but nodded imperceptibly.

"I'm going to need a fairly large sized contingency group. Twenty or so should suffice. As such, you can reduce my pay by that amount for their services." Gatou nodded in agreement. The concession would make it almost affordable to pay the mist nin. Almost.

"I'm also going to want to have them outfitted with some things; Haku has the list, go over it and make the necessary reductions for the costs in supply." Gatou grinned at the turn in events.

'With so many of my men getting killed off, and Zabuza likely finished, there is no way that I don't come out of this in the clear…if I can trade his body in to Mist, I might even make a decent bit of profit off of this deal…' Haku turned and handed him a sheet of paper, and Gatou took it with a nod. "It's a pleasure doing a deal with the devil." Gatou practically hummed as he turned and left from the room, his bodyguards giving tense looks to Haku as they backed away.

"Just remember, if you fail once more, I won't be welcoming you back or paying you. That's three strikes, and that's what your agreement said." Gatou's words seemed to hang in Zabuza's ears as the man left the room.

"I really wish we didn't have to work with scum like him." Zabuza chuckled at Haku's words.

"You don't have to get mad on my account you know…we just need to complete the job and get paid." Haku nodded, but still gripped her hand over her weapon pouch angrily. "It's too early to kill Gatou yet…we have to get paid, and then cut our connection before we get noticed by the actual hunter-nin's…" Haku nodded, sighing and relaxing her grip.

"That's true. We just have to be patient…" Haku trailed off, looking over Zabuza with mild concern.

xXxXxXx

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke stood and stared at Kakashi like he was crazy. The man was currently balancing on water with a pair of crutches, and smiling like a loon.

"You want us…to strip down to our swim trunks, and learn to balance on ocean water, while learning the Shunshin?" Naruto's voice increased in octave, his face reddening as he looked at the smiling Jonin in mounting frustration.

"Yep, that's about the jist of it…oh, and if you fall in too many times, I might have to treat you for hypothermia…even though it's the summer, the ocean water is quite cool…" Kakashi just felt his smile grow wider as the look of surprise spread over even Sasuke's face.

"Kakashi-sensei…you are a cruel, cruel man, you know that?" Kakashi smiled at the group, and tossed them all a rope. "And this is for teamwork right?" Kakashi nodded at the group, and smiled all the more. "I hate you…" Naruto sighed and tied a central piece around his waist.

"Just don't fall in too many times, and try not to pull too far away, it can hurt a lot if you mess it up." Sasuke and Sakura shot Naruto a disapproving look, and the boy frowned in response.

"Alright, so just how the heck are we supposed to perform this stuff anyways?" Kakashi smiled and walked back to the shore, settling down next to his team.

"Well, in order to balance on water, you need to continuously adjust the amount of chakra you generate to your feet, adding to the difficulty of the tree walking exercise." Kakashi stretched, and pulled a couple of small stones from his pocket. "Its main benefit in battle, is that it allows one to manipulate the form and shape of their chakra as an attack is executed." Kakashi held up three fingers before continuing.

"For projectile attacks, a person can manipulate their direction and intensity, allowing for surprising combinations." Kakashi nocked one finger down at that. "For genjutsu, a user can make more difficult to escape illusions, and layer one over another with varying levels of complexity." Another finger proceeded its brethren. "Finally, in use of taijutsu, it can allow you to change the strengths between hits, so that once you realize an attack will miss, you direct the chakra elsewhere to your body, making sure it's not wasted meaninglessly in a pointless attack." The group nodded at this, and Sasuke seemed to frown at the description slightly.

"By learning the Shunshin in combination then, we can also control the distance we travel, and the speed we move at. That means we can control the pace of the battle more efficiently, right?" Kakashi smiled at Sasuke, and nodded. The boy grunted, but a smirk was plastered across his lips. "This is going to be good…" Naruto nodded in agreement, and Sakura shook her head at Sasuke and Naruto's actions.

"Now, to perform the Shunshin, remember that you must evenly distribute the chakra across your body. It's best to start with a small amount, and then increase sharply from there to enable fast movement." Kakashi frowned as he looked at the eager nods of his students.

"However, performing the Shunshin on water is inherently more difficult, as once you perform it, you will have to rebalance wherever you end up at. Make sure that, in order to balance properly, you get walking on water down first before practicing the Shunshin." Three nods greeted the man, who sighed once and then hefted the stones in his hands.

"Oh, and once you start to get it down, I'll be pestering you with these…have to make sure you can concentrate while using this technique, you know?" Kakashi smirked as the group stepped out onto the water, and watched as Sakura mastered the technique almost immediately.

Naruto and Sasuke stumbled for a second or two, Sasuke almost managing to right himself before Naruto plunged into the water. As the blonde went under, the Uchiha cried out before following the boy into the drink. Sakura held onto the rope pulling hard against it as her knees rested on the water.

"You…you made me mess up you idiot." Sasuke chattered out, his clothes drenched in water and his face flushed red in anger. Naruto didn't seem much better, his teeth clattering as he pulled himself from the water, slipping several times.

"Shut up! If you weren't wobbling around so much, I might not have fallen in the first place." Kakashi chuckled at the two from his spot on the dock as Naruto and Sasuke pulled themselves up.

"I told you all to change into swimsuits…no one ever listens to me it seems…" Naruto and Sasuke both sent him angry glares before untying the rope around their waists and shedding their shirts and sandals. Sakura blushed heavily as the boys did so, and found her eyes flowing over Sasuke's rather hungrily.

"We'll be fine with this I think. Besides, Sakura's already got the challenge down, so we shouldn't be too far behind." Naruto's voice brought Sakura back to reality, and she nodded at her teammate. As she did, she pulled her hair down in an attempt to hide her blush.

"Perhaps…Though, as of now, I'd say she's farther ahead than either of you. Looks like you might have another competitor for the Hokage title Naruto." Kakashi smiled as the boy seemed to suddenly perk up with energy. "Guess the Uchiha clan isn't worth much either these days…" Kakashi grinned like a cat with a canary as Sasuke scowled at him.

"SHUT UP SENSEI!" Sakura yelled out, her face flushing in mock rage. _'Cha! Sasuke does look hot when he's ticked though!' _

Kakashi just smiled as he watched the two boys leap back out onto the water, only to last for a few moments before they plunged in together, Sasuke leading the charge this time. 'Still, those two will be powerful assets if they can get this down quickly. And Sakura's going to be a decent bit more deadly if I have my way with things.'

xXxXxXx

Sakura yawned as she stretched her arms above her head. She was so bored! Ever since her reserves had run dry, Kakashi had had her sit and watch with him as Sasuke and Naruto floundered with the water walking exercise. It didn't help that she would pester them with stones, or try to cast a genjutsu over them as they trained.

'Still, I wonder how much of this we're actually going to need. With the jutsu Kakashi sensei is having me learn, I should be able to make more of a difference in the next fight…' Sakura turned her attention to the head hunter jutsu, and the hiding like a mole jutsu. Though she was not proficient with earth chakra yet, the new jutsu looked like they would be very helpful in actual combat. Sakura then turned and looked at the bowl of water she had in her hand.

"Look, I know you just managed to get some of the rice to become moist, but with food scarce here we can't have you practicing that. Besides, with those two jutsu, and the genjutsu starters I gave you, you're well on your way Sakura." The girl looked over to Kakashi, and smiled in response, her attention turning back to the bowl in her hand. Kakashi winged a stone out at the two boys on the water, smiling as it impacted Naruto square in the face.

"God Damnit Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto's outburst was cut short as Sasuke fell into the water, dragging Naruto with him. The two boys came up, sputtering, wet and mad as hell. "Sasuke, we were so close, damn it! We only had ten more minutes, and then we'd be finished!" Sasuke grunted at the boy, already pulling himself out of the water. Kakashi chuckled at the scene, and then turned around with a surprised look on his face as Tazuna rounded the corner.

"Listen, Kakashi-sensei, I appreciate what you are doing, but I need to get back to work on my bridge…I can't leave it waiting much longer." Kakashi nodded to the man, though he frowned a bit.

"Sakura, I need you to work double time on those genjutsu then. I need the double-layer version down before I'm willing to send you out to protect Tazuna-san here." Sakura blinked in surprise at her teacher.

"Are you sure? I mean, Sasuke and Naruto are battle oriented, they'd be better able to protect Tazuna-san…and I still have to get the Shunshin down in the meantime…" Kakashi shook his head, and smiled at her.

"The Shunshin will come incredibly easy for you…your control is superb, though not quite good enough for medical work I fear. Still, the Shunshin is just an all body version of the water-walking, so it won't be terribly hard for you to master." Kakashi paused, and winged another stone out at the boys, smiling as Sasuke dodged to the side of the projectile.

"On top of that, if Zabuza or his accomplice were to come after Tazuna before he's fully healed, we'll need someone there who can distract and escape from the conflict, not engage. An engagement would only make matters worse in the long run anyways." Sakura frowned at that, but then set aside the bowl of water.

"So, until then, it's up to me to get this area altering genjutsu mastered, and then give a couple layers of protection for Tazuna-san…" Kakashi nodded, and the girl bowed her head lower, before giving a brief nod.

"Thanks a lot you guys. With this, maybe I can get a start on that bridge tomorrow." Tazuna smiled as he looked over the group of ninja. 'Though the ninja life is scary, these ones seem alright to me…'

xXxXxXx

Sakura itched her skin again, trying to shake off the odd feeling of keeping the illusionary jutsu in effect. 'Though it is pretty awesome that I pulled off a C-Rank with only two days of preparation! Heheh, just goes to show that my Yin-Release level is awesome!' Sakura prided herself on her advancement, though she had to admit that she still had not made much progress. The double layer she'd cast was pretty simple, and only covered the section of the bridge where Tazuna was working.

'Even if they break one, they probably won't get through the other. Still, it's keeping me from practicing my Earth Release jutsu until I get home…' Sakura frowned as she watched the group of workers go about their day. She winced as each hammer fell on the bridge, feeling her chakra strain lightly as she adjusted the illusion to keep the sounds from spreading too far from the bridge.

"You seem so bored, all by yourself…" Sakura turned to see Tazuna giving her a concerned look. The girl shook her head and stretched a bit, trying to keep her muscles from getting too stiff.

"Naruto and Sasuke are still training. It's still going to be a while before they're ready to join you on the bridge." Tazuna shook his head at the girl, and idly scratched his arm. "Sorry, I'm not that practiced with genjutsu yet, so it probably feels weird for some of your workers." Tazuna nodded in agreement, shaking his head as he looked over the bridge.

"Still, I wish you could cover the whole bridge with this technique of yours. It's a real pain to keep my movements so restricted, and I can tell that some people aren't working until they see me suddenly appear from out of nowhere when they come here to slack off." Sakura smiled in agreement, giggling lightly at the old man.

"Oh man, I got to set this down for a sec…these heavy loads are bad on your back, you know?" Tazuna hefted his load onto the ground, smiling at Sakura as he set to work.

"Hey, Tazuna!" Tazuna looked up from his work, barely glancing over his shoulder as he recognized the voice.

"What is it Giichi?" A man with pepper gray and black hair turned to face the grizzled looking bridge builder. Giichi had a black headband that ran around his temples, and a towel around his neck. A black shirt, and brown shorts full of work tools and supplies bulged around his legs.

"Listen, I've been doing some thinking, and…I need to ask if I can stop working on the bridge." Tazuna turned fully around at that, his arms going above his head in disbelief.

"What are you talking about? This is so sudden, you can't mean that you're quitting too!" Tazuna had a pleading tone in his voice, but his volume made Sakura wince as she repressed the voices.

"Tazuna, we've been close for a long time now…I want to help you, but if we continue this now that you've returned, Gatou will notice. And if you get killed, then what's the point?" Giichi's voice was stern, and held the years of hard work in construction. Tazuna merely frowned slightly, his face set like stone.

"Why don't we quit…building the bridge." Tazuna felt his face fall as Giichi told him of his desire.

"I can't do that…" Sakura and Giichi both looked at Tazuna in surprise. "This bridge is our bridge. This is the bridge we all started building together…believing it would bring resources into our poor country." Giichi stiffened at Tazuna's statement, his eyes drawing down and anger seeming to flare forth.

"But if we lose our lives in the process, what the hell is the point!" Giichi's voice was tight, cracking in desperation.

"It's already noon. Let's stop for the day." Tazuna's voice was calm and even as he turned away from Giichi. "Giichi, you don't have to come tomorrow." Tazuna's voice brooked no argument, and Giichi lowered his head in shame.

xXxXxXx

"Sorry about making you having to come by groceries with me as well…it really must be a pain to keep this genjutsu up all day…" Sakura shook her head at Tazuna, while smiling with a bit of a strain.

"It's alright, it's all a part of the job. Though, I don't know if I'll be up for it again tomorrow, I'm pretty exhausted right now." Sakura smiled tiredly as she looked around, taking in the depressing sight. Many people had their heads turned to the ground in the marketplace, and there were several people offering to become slaves or worse for money and food.

"I'm supposed to bring home food for lunch and dinner, so we might be out for a while." Sakura nodded as they headed through the streets, looking up idly as one or two passerby were pickpocketed or stolen from.

"It's alright. Right now, we just look like a father and daughter at the market. Enough to keep general suspicion low, but not enough to fool actually well trained ninja." Sakura frowned as she looked at the store in front of them. There was a form curled near the entrance, which Sakura at first thought was a homeless man. Upon closer inspection, she harshly recoiled.

'That's a child!' Stepping into the store, Sakura felt her concern grow as she noted the lack of food, and the depressed looks on everyone's face. 'What's with this village? There's hardly any food to buy in the store!' Sakura stiffened when she felt a man approach her from the side. She noticed him going for the purse around her waist, and immediately shifted it to her front. She let out a sigh of relief when the man moved away. 'Pickpockets are everywhere too…I don't know how this village is still standing…'

Tazuna paid for a few items, and Sakura soon found herself on the streets again, following close to the bridge builder. "You surprised me back there, you know? Realizing that pickpocket was coming for you." Sakura shook her head, her face in a set frown.

"What's going on in this city, Tazuna-san? You said that your nation was poor, but this is ridiculous…" Tazuna hummed in silence, weighing telling the girl the truth. Sakura stiffened before he could answer though as she heard hurried footsteps come from behind her. 'Again? Seriously, this place is kind of annoying…'

Sakura turned to see a young kid looking up at her, defeated eyes pleading as dirtied hands asked for any alms. Sakura smiled lightly at the image and pulled a few candies from her pocket, feeling her smile grow as the kid darted off into the street.

"It's been like this since Gatou came…he can control what gets brought into the country, so he keeps the import of food low to control the people…he also exports as much of the fish as he can, so that we can't keep the food to ourselves." Tazuna turned and looked towards the bridge, fighting to keep the anger from his voice.

"All the adults have lost hope…they need a symbol of courage. That bridge is our symbol of courage, our chance to shake off our fear and reclaim our hope for the future." Tazuna felt his hands stiffen by his side as Sakura looked up to him. "If that bridge can be completed, the people will return to the way they once were and the city will revive once more." Sakura nodded as the two proceeded through the marketplace.

xXxXxXx

"Wow! This is super fun! It's been so long since we got to eat with so many people!" Tazuna's loud voice carried over the house, and he was surprised when only Kakashi eye-smiled in agreement. Naruto and Sasuke seemed to be digging into their food, with Sakura a close second. Though she had not done much but sit around all day, her expenditure of chakra maintaining the genjutsu had been heavily taxing.

"You three should slow down. You'll make yourself sick if you keep up like that." Sakura and Naruto blinked at Kakashi's lazy admonishment, slowing their pace lightly. Sasuke seemed to proceed on unaffected.

"Have to keep eating. If we don't we can't all get stronger fast enough." Sasuke seemed to almost choke as he fought down the food, before asking for seconds.

'Yep, but there still is no need to throw up…' Kakashi thought despondently as he passed over the additional food.

Sakura pushed back from the table, shaking her head at the boy's actions. As she did she spotted an image hanging on the wall. It had a smiling Tsunami, Inari, and Tazuna, but a corner was missing. Standing up, Sakura went closer to the image to inspect it.

"Hey, why do you have a torn picture on the wall?" Sakura turned and looked back over the gathering, missing the tension building in Inari, Tazuna and Tsunami. "Inari was looking at it during dinner…and the other person looks like they were torn right out of the photo…" Inari stiffened suddenly and abruptly moved away from the table.

Kakashi noted the movement, but didn't say anything about it. He also noticed Naruto stiffen appreciatively, and fought back the urge to sigh tiredly. 'Perceptive students are a pain at times…'

"That was my husband…" Tsunami supplied simply. The air seemed to stretch with tension, as everyone was not satisfied with that answer.

"And he was also the man called the hero of this city…" Inari turned and quickly ran out of the room at that, slamming his door behind him as he went.

"Inari! Where are you going! Inari!" Tsunami whirled on Tazuna suddenly, her face shifting quickly from worry to rage. "You know you can't talk about him around Inari yet!" Tazuna sighed tiredly and rubbed at his forehead.

"What's wrong with Inari?" Kakashi turned to Tazuna, a slight note of worry in his voice. 'If he goes missing, then we will have to make sure he does not get captured by Gatou…'

"Inari had a father…though they were not related by blood. They were exactly like father and son though, always together." Tazuna's voice was old, and his age showed as his eyes drifted back. "Inari would laugh a lot back then…"

Kakashi waited for more, and was surprised when Naruto stood up from the table, his bowl finished. Kurama looked up from the boy's shoulder, and nuzzled his cheek quietly.

"I've already heard the story from Inari, Tazuna-san. I'm going to go look after him for a bit, if you don't mind." Tazuna shook his head as Naruto disappeared from the room.

"The story then?" Kakashi asked, his voice lazy, but now slightly interested.

"It was a long time ago, when Inari was around five or so when they first met. His name was Kaiza, and he was a fisherman who had come to Wave to seek his fortune." Tazuna seemed to smile a bit at the memory of the man.

"He rescued Inari when he was very young from some of the foolish kids in our village. They had thrown Inari into the waters, and Inari did not know how to swim." Kakashi and Sakura followed along with the story, and Tsunami seemed to be keeping herself from crying as she washed the dishes from the meal.

"So, what was this man like, to become the hero of the city?" Kakashi's question was friendly, and Tazuna smiled at the masked ninja.

"He was a kind man. Very capable in his trade as well…Though he was always saying corny things, so people wouldn't think too grandly of him, or he of himself." Kakashi nodded at the description, recognizing the merits of leadership.

"The day he became this city's hero though was during a terrible storm. One of the dams had broken, and it looked like a large residential section would have been wiped out. Kaiza volunteered, and pulled the dam shut by swimming out in the downpour and doing it by hand." Sakura blinked in surprise, smiling at the depiction of heroism.

"That was the act that made him the hero of the city. And then, when Gatou came, the hope of our people was washed away, almost like he was in that storm." Tazuna paused before starting again, his voice having gone hoarse. After a few drinks of water to steady himself, he looked the group in the eyes once more.

"What exactly happened?" Kakashi hated to admit it, but he was caught by the drama of the story.

"He was executed. Publicly by Gatou. After having his arms and legs torn from his body." Sakura and Sasuke both stiffened at the mentioned acts, Sakura's eyes taking on a look of horror, and Sasuke's seeming to fill with an odd flicker of hate.

"From that day, Inari changed. As did Tsunami, and the whole city. Kaiza was well known and loved throughout our small country, and so he was our symbol of hope. With the loss of him, our city, and our country, fell easily to Gatou." Sasuke stood harshly, wobbling slightly before heading towards the docks.

"If you're thinking of training, take the day off. Anymore, and you could kill yourself." Sasuke turned and shot Kakashi a harsh glare.

"With someone who can hate the world like that running around, I can't die yet. Not until I've gotten rid of him." Sasuke turned and proudly walked from the room, his back straight as he held his head high. 'Gatou…I've never found a reason to hate someone before…but you truly disgust me. Maybe my brother meant that I must come to hate those who have done things like him, senselessly killing…if so, I don't think it will take too long before I have enough hate to face you…'

Kakashi sighed as he watched the boy go, but turned surprised eyes towards the kitchen when he saw Sakura sitting down with a bowl in front of herself, her gaze focused on it intensely. Naruto also returned from the room, and shook his head sadly.

"I'm definitely going to prove it…to Inari, and to this whole damned world…heroes, selfless people who only want to help others. They exist, and they fight for justice." Naruto sat with a small stone in his hand, one of the pebbles that Kakashi had hit him with earlier. Kakashi was surprised to see small nicks forming in the stone, and smiled when he realized what the boy was doing.

'The leaf had too much control for him to learn easily, so he's adapted to using harder materials, ones that would normally take more control but that he can manage better with his reserves…I guess they all are really determined to get better, so I should push on developing them further once we return home.' Kakashi's musing were cut short when he saw the slight smile on Tazuna's face.

"Your kids Kakashi, all of them…they remind me a lot of Kaiza. They remind me of the hero of our village." Kakashi smiled and nodded to the man, drinking more of his tea as he thought of what training awaited him.

xXxXxXx

"Well, it looks like you three have been progressing rather well…though it's too bad I wasn't able to help with any additional training for you, all of you managed to improve your skills quite nicely. Naruto and Sasuke even managed to eventually get the body flicker down while fighting on water, and Sakura got her genjutsu down." Kakashi smiled at the group as they dug into a morning meal.

"I just wish I had time to get more practice with those earth jutsu…I can do them, but if I use them together, they leave me almost completely drained." Sakura frowned as she looked at her morning bowl of rice. 'Not to mention if I use Shunshin, or any large area genjutsu or my water ninjutsu…I really wish I had more chakra…'

"Don't worry about it! At least you have some use in genjutsu, Sasuke and I are totally hopeless with those." Sasuke smirked at that, and scoffed lightly.

"Maybe you are, second-best, but once I get my Sharingan I can pierce any illusion easily." Naruto rolled his eyes at that and Kurama yipped at the boy in annoyance.

"Heh, we'll see once they show up! Those damned eyes are always what you fall back on, you know?" Sasuke smirked at the boy before pulling more food onto his plate. After he did so, a small amount of quiet settled over the group.

"It's been almost a week sensei…today's the day, isnt' it?" Sasuke paused, his hand over the rice bowl as he tried to stop the tremor in his hand. 'That still hasn't gone away…why can't I make it stop yet?'

Kakashi looked over his students, and sighed. He noticed the worried looks from Tazuna, and Tsunami. Inari also seemed to be particularly quiet. 'No way to stop the damage now, might as well forge on ahead…' Kakashi nodded simply, and everyone at the table turned to their food, more solemn than before.

"I completed the basic Jonin performance test yesterday, so I'll head to the bridge with you today. From now on, anytime we go to the bridge, I'll be with you. We don't know when Zabuza will strike, but it will likely be there, as attacking Tazuna's house would provide us with too many escape routes." Tazuna looked down at his food, and cleared his throat before turning to look at Kakashi.

"Why did you not leave? Once I was here, the mission was technically complete." Kakashi smiled wistfully at the man and shook his head.

"To abandon your duty is not courageous. Below the courageous there is nothing. These are the previous Hokage's words. This is my way of the Shinobi. Shinobi don't move because of money alone. " Kakashi turned and smiled to Tazuna. "We believe that what Gatou is doing is wrong, and we are here to stop that from continuing. Nothing more, and nothing less."

Inari stood suddenly, but then nodded briefly to the group before fleeing to his room. Naruto sighed as he watched them go, shaking his head lightly. Kurama seemed to whine a bit in sadness, nuzzling against Naruto's cheek.

"Naruto, I'm going to have you remain here while we head to the bridge." Naruto looked in surprise at Kakashi, who held up a hand to stop any protests. "Your sensing abilities are clouded by Zabuza's technique. It means that your primary asset will be as a long range detection of incoming hostiles towards the house. With your bow, you can take down any enemies that get too close to the house before they become a danger." Naruto frowned, but nodded in acceptance.

"What if I'm needed on the bridge? I've got the most chakra and am also useful as the work horse for beating large hordes of enemies…" Kakashi nodded to the blonde, and handed him a small radio receiver.

"If we need you, we'll let you know. The range should be far enough for you to pick up on it. Still, don't abandon your post here until we absolutely demand that you move out, and only then if you can secure Tsunami and Inari." Naruto nodded in understanding and pocketed the device.

"In that case, I'll leave them to you Naruto. We should get going, the men will be expecting me at the bridge soon…" Tazuna stood, and the group exited the room, leaving Naruto alone with Tsunami.

"Go look out and watch them leave. I'll fetch Inari and bring him inside. I know you want to see them head out." Naruto smiled and Kurama yipped thanks in return to Tsunami as he raced out onto the top of the roof. As he jumped to the top of the building, he smiled as he watched Sakura and Sasuke disappear into the mists of the wood.

"They'll be fine." Naruto said to himself, and Kurama barked in agreement. As Naruto thought that, he caught a whiff of sulfur on the wind. Turning suddenly, Naruto saw a steam boat, belching black smoke from a tall metal stack. He noticed the logo for Gatou corporation and had to stop himself from growling. 'I can't wait till we can take you out, you slimebag…' Naruto thought to himself, feeling a slight grin creep over his face.

xXxXxXx

Two figures stood in the morning mist on a small boat. They were facing the base of a great bridge that was spanning across the waters, almost reaching to the mainland behind them. The mist cleared to reveal Zabuza and Haku standing there, stone faced in the morning wind.

"Is the ambush ready?" A voice crackled to life from a small radio, and Zabuza turned to see a steam boat pull into view. Stooping, Zabuza picked up the radio, and clicked it to transmit.

"Yeah, the boats on its way here now. We're going to get started. See you when the mission is complete." Zabuza clicked the radio off, not waiting to hear Gatou's reply. Instead, he turned to Haku, and gave the girl a worried glance. "Are you ready, Haku?"

"Yes. Today, I am your blade Zabuza." Zabuza frowned, but nodded to the girl.

"Hopefully, you will only need to be that. If I die though, to be of use to me, you must become Haku again, and fight for the nation that wanted to kill you. Remember my request, as it might be my last." Haku nodded, and donned her hunter mask, her face going neutral as she looked to the bridge.

xXxXxXx

Naruto kept glancing towards the steam boat as he pulled out another arrow. He saw two samurai approach the house, and sighed when he overheard talk of them trashing the place. With no emotion whatsoever, Naruto placed a shot between each of their skulls, the silent thrum of the bow string barely noticed in the morning breeze. The wind enhanced arrowheads passed cleanly through their skulls, and Naruto's face was placid as they fell to the forest floor.

'So…only two Samurai…that's weak sauce Gatou, even for you…' The steam boat once again drew Naruto's gaze, especially when he noticed that the top of it had been uncovered, and a catapult was there in the morning breeze. There were also dozen of men on the ship, and Naruto watched in horror as they streamed onto the bridge.

"Naruto, secure Tsunami and Inari immediately. We're going to need you on the bridge, ASAP." Naruto watched in horror as the catapult unleashed a flaming metal sphere that seemed to crash into the bridge with awe-inspiring might. "Damn it, move you two. We need to get clear of this. Sasuke, set up a fire wall to keep the average men back. Sakura, cover the area with illusions so they can't see where they are going." Naruto felt his heart tighten as he raced down the steps, almost tripping at Kakashi's last statement. "Zabuza…you would involve others who would simply fall to an ordinary shinobi." Naruto's voice strained to hear Zabuza's words.

"Of course. A demon loves to bathe and drink in blood, Kakashi. I figured today would be a fitting way to remind the world of my reputation…"

xXxXxXx

CLIFFY PART TWO! Huah! Man, this chapter dragged so much in writing it at times. I had to find a balance of what parts of the original to include, and what parts to leave out. I'm satisfied overall with the balance, but feel it is lacking in others. I also think it is kind of short…I wanted to write more, but just ran out of time and inspiration. Hopefully I can do more next weekend.

That being said, I like some of how I portrayed the characters. I needed to keep Sakura's chakra level still nerfed, and that is helping with the curve a bit. She currently has a lot of tricks, but not a lot to pull from all at once. She's a work in progress. Plus, her up-coming combat role will really help me develop her character in new and interesting ways. I'm honestly looking forward to the next chapter, quite a bit.

Sasuke is developing nicely, though he's yet to unveil his new found speed in this timeline, or his fighting abilities. They will be decidedly above par. He also will be getting the dreaded 'cheat code on life' soon, but I'm actually looking forward to that, as it will allow me to advance the other main characters power level a bit.

Naruto was a problem for me in this one. I wanted to address the issue of Kiba's dad, as that was never really dealt with in canon. I also wanted to draw in the side fic that involved Akamaru from one of the anime filler episodes. Still, having him have a similar story to Inari let me cut out some of the stronger outburst scenes, as Inari had someone very close to bond with and understand. An older brother, who had been there before you could say. Still, it was surprisingly hard to write his parts in this chapter.

I hope the cliffy was appropriate, and will keep others coming back for more. Ok, that's all for now, time for some fan stuff! Thanks again go out to Orange-Kun, and Alec McDowell. You two, major help!

One final note on pairings: I will not announce who I am pairing anyone with at this point in time, but there will be relationships in this fic. Also, most of them will have a solid beginning after I finish the wave arc, so keep reading for more awesome goodness.

As always, Read & Review!


	8. Chapter 8 : Dead as a Dog III

Alright, next chapter is here! Here we go, the big battle at the bridge, the showdown at the OK corral, so to speak. Before we start off though, couple notes:

One, Nagato is apparently an Uzumaki. I have to give credit where it is due, one fan found that. Key to Chaos, good sleuthing. Still, I am not changing my cannon rules that the Senju were given monstrous life force, and the Uchiha the eyes of infinite cheat codes. I figure the Sage was smart enough to realize that great power would not lead to happiness, and instead gifted his favored clan with a long life. Note though, that though every Uchiha has the potential to grow that far, most will not. Sort of like how we all start with the possibility of being an Einstein, but most of us don't end up there. As for Nagato, I'm going with the argument that Tobi gave him the eyes. He is a surprisingly OP character, so I see no reason to not give him that edge as well.

Speaking of edges, the Shadow Clone cannot transfer physical memory. Knowledge, sure, but physical memory is a no-no. Keeps it slightly balanced. Sharingan, likewise, can copy things, but if the certain Uchiha hasn't developed their skills in that area, it will drain them significantly. No utterly uber cheat codes in this verse (though the eyes still bug me from time to time…).

Shunshin will also be different for each character, and will develop in certain ways to match and complement each other. Each of them will also be getting some character development in this chapter.

On the notes of Naruto: this chapter is dark for him. It is a step away from canon, and I want to brace some for it. There will be changes here, and they will be unpleasant for some. In a nod to Alec, Naruto will be gaining some things from the bargain, but they pale to his loss. The loss is necessary for character development and plot development though.

That being said…I own nothing but the original stuff!

xXxXxXx

Kakashi noticed Naruto watching the group as they left from the house and smiled to himself a bit. The boy, while seemingly upset about the country's condition, and still obviously torn up about his first kill, seemed to be adjusting well. It reminded Kakashi of himself at a young age, and brought a smile to his face. As they worked their ways through the trees, Kakashi noted the heavy fog, and felt himself sigh a bit. 'Of course…if today is the day Zabuza returns, the weather would just have to favor him…'

As they rounded a corner, and came upon the bridge, Kakashi felt his nerves tighten a bit. There was a Gatou Corp. ship coming towards the bridge, and Kakashi could tell that it was riding low in the water. Furthermore, the bridge seemed to be covered in mist far more heavily than elsewhere. 'This just became troublesome…'

"Sakura, Sasuke, get ready. I'm going to go in front as we proceed onto the bridge. I want one of you in front and one behind Tazuna at all times." Kakashi pushed his senses to the maximum as they crept into the mist. It was surprising when it began to clear suddenly, and sent Kakashi's danger sense tripping even further.

Emerging from the mist was a set of forms, scattered on the ground. Kakashi held back a gasp as he realized they were the bodies of Tazuna's workers. 'Not good…we are definitely in it now…' Kakashi reached to activate his radio, but stopped as a whistling noise reached his ear. Immediately, Kakashi had his hands on his charges and Tazuna, winging them to the side as a large explosion sounded not five feet from them. 'Definitely in it now…' The explosion cleared some of the mist, and Kakashi felt his blood run cold as he noted a fully-fledged catapult, with an armed barge and mercenaries pull alongside the bridge.

Kakashi quickly palmed his radio, placing it in his ear, and dialed it to the proper channel. As he looked over the bridge, his blood pounded in his ears, but he felt his mental state seem to slow appreciatively. Kakashi noted the mist draping over the bridge in certain sections, the presence of metal and smell of sulfur, and a slight ringing in his ears. "Naruto, secure Tsunami and Inari immediately. We're going to need you on the bridge ASAP." Kakashi flinched as he saw the catapult rear back a secondary shot, and dodged to the side with Sakura and Sasuke coming behind him slowly. As they moved, Kakashi saw a stream of mercenaries begin to filter out onto the bridge.

"Damn it! Move you two! We need to get clear of this…" Kakashi saw the men streaming onto the bridge, and noticed them begin to move for a flanking of their position. "Sasuke, set up a fire wall to cut off the average men. Sakura, cover the area with illusions so they can't see where they're going." Kakashi looked rapidly around the mist as flames raced across the ground towards the group of mercenaries. As the flames neared the bodies, Kakashi noted the flickering of shapes coming through the mists. A large cleaver flashed out and sunk into the ground in front of Kakashi, making the man palm a kunai quickly.

"Zabuza…you would involve others who would simply fall to an ordinary shinobi…" The form of the missing ninja stepped through the mist, the water rolling off of his shoulders as he moved. Zabuza brought his hands up in a cross, and regarded Kakashi with an evident grin.

"Of course. A demon loves to bathe and drink in blood, Kakashi. I figured today would be a fitting way to remind the world of my reputation." A sudden gust blew out over the bridge, and mist rolled in from every direction. "That should stop your little radio communications…meaning you're all mine." A catapult shot came and crashed into the bridge, launching debris between the two ninja. Before the first piece had fallen, the two were gone in a flash, Zabuza's sword disappearing in a puddle of water.

xXxXxXx

Sasuke jumped back as a heavy sphere of metal and flame impacted the bridge near him. He took in the sight of the approaching mercenary, and was already halfway through the necessary seals for a fire jutsu before Kakashi even gave the order. Sasuke watched as the flames tore towards the men, and grimaced when he didn't hit any of them. 'I still think Kakashi is crazy about flames needing to be controlled…if those gave off actual heat, it would at least keep them back a bit further…' Sasuke did not have long to continue with this line of thinking though as senbon impacted nearby, forcing the boy to move.

"So, you managed to dodge that after all." Sasuke turned to see the hunter nin from before, a senbon drawn in his hand as he faced the Uchiha.

"Don't think I'm the same as my teammates…I'm not one to be taken lightly…" The masked ninja seemed to laugh at Sasuke's boast, bringing a scowl to the Uchiha's face.

"Don't worry Uchiha. I'm not planning on taking you lightly. And that's why I know I can end this all the sooner." Sasuke seemed about to respond, but his senses kicked in before he could utter a word. Whirling, Sasuke brought his tanto to bear against a senbon slash, and marveled at the fact that he was pushed back slightly.

"Even with that kind of speed, you won't be able to kill me." Sasuke scoffed at his opponent. Sasuke pushed the senbon back, and reached for his pouch to draw a second kunai. His opponent began making rapid one-handed seals in response, and smashed his foot against the ground.

"Ice Release: Thousand Ice Needles of Death" Sasuke noticed needles float into the air, and realized that they surrounded him from all sides. Sasuke pushed his eyes to the limit, trying to figure out where the needles were all at, looking for any kind of movement.

"Even with speed like that, you won't be able to dodge this…" Sasuke closed his eyes, rather than watching as the needles approached.

'Remember the training…remember what it felt like to accelerate your whole body…and to hold your body in place…' Sasuke's eyes flashed open, and red orbs glared at Haku. 'Then stop them all!' Sasuke's body accelerated into a blur, his feet staying glued to the bridge and his arms moving faster than could be followed.

"You…you are also from a clan with a kekkei genkai…" The masked nin regarded Sasuke oddly, watching as the boy stepped forward. Around his feet were a ring of either destroyed ice senbon, or deflected ones. The boy's body was covered in light nicks, but none terribly severe.

"So…the Sharingan finally awoke. I thank you for that. It means I'll be able to fulfill my goals one day." Sasuke's opponent drew up short at that, the mask staring blankly at Sasuke.

"What goals do you have, a member of a clan such as the Uchiha?" Sasuke smirked and stretched his limbs once or twice, trying to catch sounds of the battle that he knew surrounded him.

"My goals are my own. I am the last of my kind though, and need these eyes to achieve my goals." The warrior across from him nodded at this, and Sasuke noticed the ninja stand taller and face him squarely.

"I am also the last of my kind, Uchiha…I know some of the pain you speak of." Sasuke scoffed in response, pulling the second kunai out as he had earlier intended.

"You say you know my pain? My name is Sasuke Uchiha, last of the loyal Uchiha, and the avenger of the second great clan of Konoha. My family was slain by my brother, the greatest Uchiha in generations."

Sasuke flashed through hand seals rapidly, his tanto and kunai pressing together in sequence. "My goal in life is to avenge my clan of this murderer, and restore my clans place among the world of shinobi. Let all others try to match my suffering, if they dare!" At Sasuke's final cry, the boy whipped his tanto forward, and drew flame and lightning around the edge of the weapon.

"Blaze Release: Blaze Blade" Sasuke charged forward in an instant, closing with his opponent at an incredible speed. As the attack tore through his opponent, Sasuke grimaced as water doused his blade and jolted him slightly. The fire from his attack sputtered away from the impact.

"Impressive indeed, Sasuke Uchiha." A lilting voice drifted back through the mist towards him. "If I had not taken the proper precautions, that attack would certainly have worked. Unfortunately for you, even with that speed, you are still not fast enough." Sasuke noticed a chill travel up his spine, and watched in confusion as panes of ice formed around him.

"I also now of the pain you speak. I am the last of my clan, but I have no one to avenge or kill, unless I wish to destroy an entire nation. I realized though, that without a goal such as that, that my life is better served protecting those I care about." Sasuke glared at the images that had formed around him, noting the reflections in every pane.

"Those you care about? If I was you, I would still fight to restore my clan's honor. Your clan must not be as famous or as powerful as the Uchiha though, so I can understand your lack of drive." Sasuke sneered at his opponent, trying to find the illusion.

"My drive is greater by protecting someone. You worry about your teammates, do you not? I have trained the men they face now in how to fight genjutsu ninja, and had them armed with explosives and weapons intended to cause great harm…they will die if you cannot defeat me." Sasuke scoffed at Haku, drawing his tanto even with his torso.

"If they die facing bandits, they were not worthy teammates at all, and I will not mourn them. Now stop talking, and show me what you can do." Sasuke's hand trembled slightly as he watched the panes in front of him begin to glow.

"Very well. Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals" Sasuke felt his eyes flick around his entrapment, and noted twelve mirrors at ground level, eight angled and higher up, and one atop the structure. He also noted his own eyes, showing a single tomoe in each eye. "From now on, you will only be able to run from my attacks…" Sasuke watched as the light from each mirror amplified, and then cried out in agony as he felt attacks rip into his body from every angle. Kneeling, Sasuke coughed up blood, and looked around him again, a tremble coursing through his hand.

"You…you're an interesting opponent…what's your name?" Sasuke tracked his eyes along the mirrors, trying to discern the real copy from the fake. He was disappointed when he found no obvious clues.

"My name is simply Haku. I am the last of the Yuki clan from Mizugakure. I am also your executioner." Haku readied another senbon, his image appearing to ready itself in the mirror.

"Haku huh? I take it this technique of yours has never been beaten from how confident you are…" Haku seemed to pause while regarding Sasuke slightly before nodding once.

"Yes. Even Zabuza has said he would have difficulty defeating this technique. It would take a miracle for one such as you to defeat it, if my master has difficulty in such a task." Sasuke smirked, and found his eyes begin to track over the shapes as light grew in the reflections. As they did, Sasuke readied his body for the Shunshin once more.

Suddenly, Sasuke noted movement coming from his left side, just out of the corner of his eye. It was brief, but was enough for Sasuke to move himself quickly to the right. As he did, he felt the barest of tears along his torso, and smiled when he was granted only a trickle of blood.

His confidence did not last long though, as he suddenly had the sensation of impending danger return. For what seemed an eternity, Sasuke moved and dodged in this manner, until the mirrors began to dim. When they did, Sasuke noted that Haku had seemed to have fallen into a single mirror.

"I can see through your technique. And though I can't hit you yet, I can dodge." Haku's image seemed to tense at Sasuke's words.

"Then let us see if the infamous Uchiha can manage a miracle…" Haku readied herself for another charge, and began to gather her necessary chakra. 'This is bad…If he can see me know, even just barely, then when I begin to slow, he will most assuredly catch me. I have to stop taking it easy on him…I have to kill, for Zabuza…'

xXxXxXx

"Tazuna-san, come with me immediately!" Sakura winged several shuriken into the crowd of approaching men and cursed to herself. 'They managed to blast Sasuke's fire attack apart with some sort of explosive, and they are closing fast…on top of that, my illusions only stop them for a moment or two until they barrel through them…' Sakura dodged a thrown axe, and then a spear, before cracking her bullwhip to stun a closing attacker. A large man paused after the whip cracked, his face blank for mere seconds. That was all it took for the girl to close and drive a kunai into the man's skull.

As Sakura leaped back, she looked down at her hands, staring at the blood, before the sound of a whizzing object drew her attention. She quickly jumped to the side, and pushed Tazuna behind cover of a scaffolding building. "Start climbing, old man! I'll handle them here!" Tazuna did not need any encouragement and was quickly up the large complex.

"Look at this, boys! We have a pretty young girl here who wants to entertain us with her little whip…" Sakura set her face in stone as she looked over the crowd facing her. They were all fully grown men, brandishing knives, swords, spears, anything that looked deadly. The smell coming from them was awful; alcohol, drugs, and sweat. It reminded Sakura of her home at times, and made the girl only grit her teeth harder in resolve.

"That's right! But it would be so hard to entertain so many of you at once!" Sakura jumped back onto the scaffolding behind her and began to weave genjutsu over the whole complex. She turned to see Tazuna make it to the top of the construct, and smiled. 'Perfect…if I can lead some of them high enough, they can fall off the construct and take them out…'

"Hahaha! You hear that guys! She thinks she can't handle all of us at once!" The chuckles emanating from the crowd made Sakura scowl in disgust. She did not let it stop her from preparing her genjutsu though, and smiled as she felt her illusions begin to take place. "But don't worry, little one, we'll take turns for you…right guys?" Sakura smiled as the genjutsu fell into place. Once it was completed, she whipped out several shuriken and kunai, quickly sending them into the crowd. Several headshots made the girl smile, though some did go wide.

"Like I trust all of you! But why not come into my little funhouse here, I'm sure you'll be fine…" Sakura turned and stepped back into the construct, before pulling her hands into several seals. "Hidden Mist Jutsu" Mist roiled around the construct, and several of the men stepped back from the metal scaffold.

"Hide and seek is it? Well, we can do that too, girlie…" Sakura shivered at the voice, and forced the bile in the back of her throat down as the group proceeded towards her.

xXxXxXx

"Hide and seek, eh Zabuza?" Kakashi strained his eyes in the mist, his headband already revealing his Sharingan. 'Damn, not good…Sasuke and Sakura are separated, Naruto is missing and out of communication, and I have a silent kill specialist in a blind zone area, with lots of distracting sounds…Not good…'

Kakashi tried to calm himself as he pushed his senses to their maximum. Thus far, all he heard was the loud bombardment of the bridge from the catapult. "Planning on using the destruction of the bridge to buy more time, huh? I didn't know you were so dedicated to your clients, Zabuza…" A chuckle greeted Kakashi from the mist, and the Leaf ninja dodged harshly to the side. As he did, he watched a finely controlled water wave slash into his previous location.

"Nice dodge Kakashi. And I can't take credit for the catapults, that was Gatou's idea." Zabuza broke through the mist, suddenly closing on Kakashi. The leaf nin moved quickly, dodging, blocking and flipping away from several attacks.

"So, you just wanted the men to bring to a slaughter then, huh?" Zabuza chuckled again, and Kakashi jumped aside as yet another wave of water approached him from behind. Kakashi turned, and threw his kunai with the movement, and sent it crashing into the Zabuza facing him.

"Maybe I did…Maybe they just give me some added advantage. Besides, I only have the mist until your third brat shows up and ruins my fun." Zabuza appeared out of the mist again, this time from Kakashi's right and brought his massive cleaver to bear. As he did, he smiled as he was rewarded by the slight trail of blood across Kakashi's torso.

Kakashi quickly disengaged, and winged several kunai at Zabuza, smiling as a plan began to take form in his head. 'If I can just keep playing for a bit of time…this might work out…'

xXxXxXx

Time slowed as Naruto rushed down the stairs of the house, flying around the corners as he ran inside. When he arrived, he noticed Inari and Tsunami sitting at the kitchen table, and the two looked at him oddly.

"Kakashi-sensei and the others are in trouble! There is a possible attack on the village, and we need to get the townspeople rallied now!" The boy's words had an immediate effect on the pair. Tsunami shot from her seat and turned, grabbing food and several utensils. Inari bounded over to Naruto, fear evident in his eyes.

"I told you they'd all get killed! You can't go out there, if you do, you're just going to die too!" Naruto turned and ruffled Inari's hair quickly.

"Sorry Inari, but this time I have to fight. Besides, I trust in my teammates. Neither of them will go down without a fight!" Kurama barked agreement from Naruto's shoulders, and Tsunami stepped up behind Inari and looked at him worriedly.

"Inari, now is not the time to argue. Go and get your pack and bring down Kaiza's crossbow. We're going to need it today." Inari looked at his mother fearfully, but nodded in acceptance. Tsunami's face softened as she turned to Naruto, "Thank you for what you have done for Inari. He was telling me how you're almost an older brother now." Naruto blushed at the praise, and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I don't know about that; I just relate well to him, like I do to Kurama here." The fox yipped in agreement, and Tsunami smiled at the image.

"Yes, they do seem alike in some ways." Tsunami smiled lightly as Inari clambered down from the steps. He had a military helmet on, as well as a simple crossbow that he carried in his arms.

"There you go! Now you look like you're going to join in on the fighting too!" Inari nodded and smiled at Naruto.

"I can't have you being the only hero of the day, you know?" Naruto smiled and then turned a serious face toward Tsunami.

"I'll escort you to the nearest house and explain the situation. Once that is done, I need to go help my team on the bridge." Tsunami nodded to Naruto, and the boy in turn reached into a pocket and passed a pill to Akamaru. A second later, two Naruto's stood side by side, one armed with a bow and one without.

"Woah! That's really cool, Naruto!" Inari gasped, looking over the dopplegangers. The one with the bow smirked and the other just shook his head lightly.

"Thanks, but we have time to show off later. Right now, we need to get moving." The real Naruto pulled the bow down and knocked an arrow as they exited the house. As they did, the group kept casting the rare furtive look over to the bridge, and watched as the catapult rained fire.

xXxXxXx

A loud hand pounded on a door in the quiet village streets. The surroundings were giving Naruto the worst case of the creeps ever; everyone seemed to be locked up inside, and no one was even paying attention to the catapult in the middle of the village. 'Seriously…not a good sign…'

"Gichi, it's Tsunami! Open up right now!" Hurried footsteps came from behind the door, and a chagrined looking man with pepper and salt hair came to stand in the doorway.

"Come in, but keep it quiet. We don't want to attract too much attention yet." Tsunami gave him a questioning look, as did Naruto. The group quickly moved in at Gichi's insistence, and soon found themselves seated on the floor, a bowl of soup set in front of them.

"There are bandits moving about the village. Some of the men, the younger ones are already out and fighting them…we don't know how long they will last. Once that catapult turns its sight on the village though, it's all but over." Naruto grimaced at the man, leaving his soup and standing. Kurama was already leaning against the door, and cracked a single eye at him. It was a bit odd for the boy to look himself in the eye, but the two nodded before reaching for the door.

"Don't worry about the catapult Gichi-san. I'm going to go take care of that right now." Naruto and his doppelganger exited, drawing a sigh from the old man. Moments after he left, Inari stood up harshly, and grabbed the crossbow close to his chest.

"We should be out there fighting too! It's our country, they should not have to do all the work!" Gichi smiled at the boy, but shook his head.

"We are doing something right now, Inari. We are protecting the future of this country, and that is you. You and all the other kids have to stay out of the fighting for now." Inari grimaced but nodded in agreement.

"Is there a place I could watch from then?" Gichi smiled at the boy, and led him to an overlook on the side of the house.

"If you keep real quiet, you can watch from here, alright?" Inari nodded, seeing that the catapult was in view, and the whole bridge was covered in mist. As the boy looked out over the village, he noticed that there were a number of fires closer to the bridge, and the sounds of fighting coming from that area.

'Naruto…you better not die out there…'

Gichi frowned as he headed back inside, and looked over to his wife. As he did, he noted Tsunami already passed out on the table. 'Good. With her out of commission, it won't be long before Inari goes under as well…all this to be safe though, seems a bit much…'

xXxXxXx

Naruto ran through the streets, making his way straight toward the catapult on the water. As he did, his mind raced through his options for attack. 'I don't know where anyone is at the moment…' Naruto keyed his radio again, and was rewarded with more static. 'Damn radio is out too, what the hell…'

As he ran, the boy pulled all four of the explosive arrows from his quiver, and began looking at the catapult barge. 'There's no way I can destroy that thing in one go, unless I can enhance the power of these explosions…but I don't have the chakra to enhance all four…' Naruto's mind raced as he took to the streets, and he dodged several of the combatants in the street. 'If I stop and help, I'll only make things worse…' The cries from behind him, as well as the sounds of blood and organs flowing onto stone, did nothing to lessen the feeling of guilt.

Naruto was quickly on the surface of the water, Kurama pulling up close with him. As they got closer, Naruto's mind played back to the forest of death, and the retrieval of his pack. 'Anko-sempai did say that wind can also enhance explosions…' Naruto turned to Kurama, and the two of them grinned wickedly at each other.

"Alright boy, we're going to smash them with wind bullets, one for each arrow spot, and one large one in the center of the ship, alright?" Kurama barked back in agreement, and again, Naruto thought it was odd to see his own image make those sounds.

Quickly sprinting forward, Naruto landed on the ship and shot four arrows at the catapult in a rapid fire manner.

"Hey, what the hell is that kid doing? Get some guys to stop him, Gatou doesn't want this taken out!" Naruto grimaced as he looked at the crew of ten on the ship.

'Necessary sacrifices…just keep calling them that…' Naruto pulled out several arrows, and jumped high into the air, letting them all fly in rapid succession. As he was still in the air, the boy pulled on his wind chakra, and smirked as he ran through the signs for a wind bullet. 'Time for the big one!' Naruto forced all of his power into the shot as he shouted out the attack: "Wind Release: Air Bullet!" A massive force launched the boy back and away from the catapult, and he smiled at the ensuing fireball that engulfed the ship.

It was only when a secondary explosion began to billow out that Naruto began to worry. 'Shit…I think they had explosive powder on board!' Naruto began to race away from the ship towards the bridge, and turned to watch the billowing maelstrom. Though he heard screams from the barge, Naruto hardened his heart to what he had done.

'I'm not supposed to look away…I need to face it and keep going forward.' Naruto turned to see Kurama, reverted back to fox form and limping towards Naruto. Concerned, Naruto bent down, but was relieved to see that the fox only had a minor injury on one of its legs.

"Come here and rest for a bit, alright boy?" Kurama nodded and jumped up around Naruto's shoulders. Turning, Naruto looked over the mist filled bridge and gathered his chakra for a pulse, surprised at the drain he already felt. 'That wind bullet took it out of me a bit…guess I still have a way to go on elemental control…'

When the chakra pulse returned, Naruto smiled in surprise. 'Either Zabuza did not know that his mist was thicker last time, or he's counting on me to disperse this mist when I arrive…If I do that though, I take away an advantage…' Naruto frowned as the thought over the field. 'Sasuke is engaged in a solo fight, as is Kakashi-sensei…Sakura seems to have a crowd though…'

xXxXxXx

Sakura kept her face neutral as she whipped another opponent off of the scaffolding. As she did, she counted over the terrain, and focused on the targets in front of her. 'They are not ninja…none of them can break my genjutsu, but by going slow enough and using sweeping tactics, they are managing to cover a large area…' Sakura turned and used her whip to swing her up to the next level of the scaffold.

'Still, there are a lot of them…I've taken out at least a dozen, and yet they keep coming…' Sakura heard a shout from below, and realized that her vacated position had just been discovered. 'On top of that, one of them is organized enough to keep finding the ladders and keep some of the men clustered together…If I had the chakra for it, I could just blow them all off the damn scaffold with a water bullet…' Sakura readied several kunai and shuriken, using them to take out some of the mercenaries as they came up to her nearby level. She grimaced when several dodged, and one even deflected a shot.

'Damn it…I had to leave the ladders unmarked this high so Tazuna could make it to the top…and I only have one more level to go…' Sakura pulled out her chain whip and charged forward, taking out several with the sudden rush. She planted an explosive tag on the top layer, but jumped back before it could detonate.

She was surprised when it did not detonate, and saw that one of the mercenaries had torn through the thing when it was halfway. 'Someone trained them to fight me…trained mercenaries to handle a genjutsu user…Zabuza…' Sakura cracked her whip several time and reached for the necessary kunai. She felt her breath draw short when she realized she only had one left.

'Damnit!' The girl turned in time to see a reckless opponent charge towards her with a sword raised. As it began to fall, the girl watched it move towards her skull in slow motion. 'No…not after all this…I still have things to do…' The girl closed her eyes in helplessness, feeling herself surrender to the coming deathblow.

A sudden gust of wind pushed her out of the way, and Sakura opened her eyes to see Naruto standing there, Kurama around his neck, and his bow drawn with an arrow nocked. 'Naruto!' The boy quickly pulled his string back and drove his next shot through the berserker's eye.

"Jeez Sakura…the ground around here is littered in corpses…been having fun without me, huh?" Naruto turned and gave her a cheeky smile, his eyes closed in a wide grin. A whipcrack was his answer, and suddenly Sakura was by his side, a kunai driven into her foes forehead.

"Yeah, what can I say? With you as late as you were, I had to do something to amuse myself…you're not picking up on Kakashi-sensei's tardiness, are you?" Sakura grinned as she faced the approaching horde, but still felt worry settle in the back of her mind.

'I haven't heard a catapult crash in a while, and there was a rather large explosion moments ago…that was Naruto, so we have that out of the way…but there's still at least three or four dozen of these guys…I don't know if we have the stamina for that…' Sakura stood next to Naruto, drawing out her chain whip as she faced the crouching horde.

"Sorry about dispersing the genjutsu Sakura…I'm terrible at seeing through them still, and needed the way to maneuver." Sakura shook her head as she watched the cautious group of enemies spill out onto the scaffolding.

"Don't worry about it…I was running out of chakra anyways, and keeping it going was a pain. How many arrows do you have left?" Naruto ran a hand through his quiver and grimaced.

"Only around ten or so…plus I can't cut loose for fear of bringing this thing down on us." Sakura frowned as well, watching as the group of mercenaries assembled in front of them.

"Kunai?" The boy grimaced as well, his hand ghosting over where his weapons pouch should have been. "You lost them in the explosion, huh?" Naruto nodded, causing Sakura to sigh as she watched the approaching horde.

"Again, it was a bit of a rush job…"Naruto pulled out his next arrow, lining up his targets. "Let's not worry about it though, I'm sure we can still manage to kill these mooks!" Some of the mercenaries stiffened at being called mooks though, and Naruto had to grimace in response. 'Note to self: Don't insult people I'm about to kill…'

"If you kids are done talking, we're going to make our way upstairs now…" A large man, with a broad chest and short brown hair stepped forward. He seemed to bring a spirit of resolve to the men, and grinned cruelly at the two genin. In an instant, he was charging across the bridge, and Naruto only smiled as he fired off two shots in rapid succession. When they drove home into the man's skull, and he fell in front of Naruto, the boy placed his foot on top of the corpse.

"Who's next?" The mercenaries were silent for a moment, and Naruto sighed as he looked over the crowd. "Well, come on! I don't have all day to kill you, you know?" Naruto grimaced as the group seemed to rally a bit, and began moving to flank the duo.

xXxXxXx

"You still haven't killed me yet…" Sasuke was panting in the middle of the ice mirror dome, several senbon sticking from non-vital areas. 'They aren't complete yet…but he is slowing…I can catch him, with just a bit more…' Sasuke focused as the mirrors lit up again, and grimaced as he forced his body to move at accelerated speeds. The hits were less and less each time, and he was starting to track Haku's movements.

"You move well…But tell me, do you train so hard only to avenge the tragedy of your clan?" Sasuke stiffened as he watched Haku closely. 'I'm running out of time. He's figuring out my movements, and those eyes…' Haku focused on the Sharingan, and saw the rage emanating from behind them, 'those eyes are following me closer and closer…If I can upset him though, I might be able to gain an advantage…'

Haku cut off her line of thought as she poured chakra into her ice jutsu. Flames pounded against her position, and they continued for several long moments, making her tremble at the effort. 'He can even discern my final position! I need to end this fight now!'

Sasuke forced his hand to steady as he breathed out the line of fire, his eyes tightened with rage. 'Damnit…I can see where he ends up, but not when he is moving…and these mirrors won't melt!' Sasuke gripped his tanto all the tighter, and tried to force himself to calm down.

"I see I hit a nerve there…anything you'd like to talk about?" Haku jeered, preparing her chakra for her next attack. Sasuke glared at her with utter disdain.

"You do not talk of my clan…I do not care what your story is; your clan's tragedy is nothing to mine…" Sasuke's hand was shaking as he regarded his opponent, and he focused his chakra into circulating evenly in his limbs.

"Well, if we are not going to talk, why don't we finish this…" Haku blurred from her mirror, and was surprised when Sasuke managed a full dodge and slash with his tanto. Haku twisted away and moved into the nearest most mirror, staring down at her foe.

"I can see you now…and I can move fast enough to engage…" Sasuke's eyes turned to her, and Haku fought down a gasp as she saw an additional tomoe in his right eye. "…just a little bit more, and I can kill you…" Haku drew many senbon, placing them between her hands. Flashing through hand signs, Haku began to gather the droplets of blood from within the dome into floating spears.

"Well then, I guess it's time to see if you can make a miracle happen…No one has ever caught me in these mirrors…" Sasuke widened his eyes as the mirrors all began to glow, and the needles readied to move.

'There are just as many as before, and he's attacking from the front, so I can't stay in place…nowhere to go but up, which is what he'd expect…' Sasuke grimaced and jumped hard, watching the blood senbon impact his previous position. As he did, he felt a gut-wrenching impact in his shoulder, managing to dodge a fatal hit on instinct alone.

"You do move well…but this is the end!" Haku drove a second fist forward, aiming for Sasuke's throat. A second hand impacted her fist though, and Haku watched as Sasuke gripped her arm through her senbon.

As the two fell towards the ground, Haku realized that there was a force keeping her hands lodged in Sasuke's body. 'He's using chakra to hold me in place? But why?' Haku's nerves tightened as she regarded the boy from behind her mask. The two landed on the ground, and Sasuke smirked up at her, his red eyes boring into her heart.

"Yeah, your end…you're not the only one who can do one handed seals…" Sasuke's hands flashed through several seals, even as Haku pulled in vain to escape. "…Now watch the miracle of the Uchiha! Grand Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke roared, and Haku placed both feet on Sasuke's chest and shoved hard. Just as the fireball hit, Haku managed to push off and yank herself to the side. The explosion still broke her concentration, and she fell outside the edge of the dome.

'He…he defeated my jutsu!' Haku watched as her mirrors shattered, and the Uchiha panted on the ground, kneeling from the attack. 'If I wait any longer he will rise and defeat me…but I can't kill him…not one who also understands the pain of being alone…' Haku flung several senbon at Sasuke, and marveled that, as they traveled, the mist seemed to lift, and red seemed to wash over the world.

xXxXxXx

"I'm surprised Kakashi…you've managed to last quite a while in this mist…even managing to dodge all of my attacks, though you can't hope to last much longer." Kakashi grimaced at the sound of Zabuza's voice, trying to locate the man and keep an ear to the battle around him.

'The catapult stopped, and it sounds like Naruto made his entrance…from the noises behind me, I'd say he's working with Sakura. Sasuke also seems busy, so I don't have to worry on that front…' Kakashi moved and pulled a scroll from his pouch.

"You're right Zabuza, this fight has gone on for quite a while. But, I'll show you why I'm feared far and wide now…" Zabuza chuckled in the mist, and appeared behind Kakashi once more, slashing at him. Zabuza was surprised, and scoffed lightly when he scored a solid hit on the man's arm.

"Don't kid me, Kakashi! You're only famous for that damned eye of yours…once I kill you, and claim your bounty, I might just keep it for a trophy!" Zabuza swung again, and was once more surprised when a blow landed lightly on Kakashi's torso, before the man disappeared back into the mist. "Don't think you can run away, Hatake! If you leave me alone for too long, I'll go and finish the bridge builder myself!"

Kakashi opened the scroll in his hands, wiping his blood along the seal and smiled ruthelessly. "I was a Jonin before I got the Sharingan, Zabuza. And my 'brats' are going to defeat your forces today, without my help at all. I have the most intelligent kunoichi, the next Hokage hopeful, and the sole survivor of the Uchiha as my team." Kakashi channeled chakra into the scroll, and smiled at the sound of his familiars coming to his aid.

"I intend to kill you today, with techniques of my own! Not ones stolen from others!" Zabuza shouted, and his nerves practically screamed at him to move. Zabuza tensed, and tried to listen for the sound of his approaching attacker. A moment later, he cried out in pain as fangs and claws dug into his body holding him in place.

"I'll respect that, and use my own original technique to kill you…" Zabuza felt his eyes go wide as he looked through the mist, Kakashi standing there with a palm full of lightning.

'The chakra is visible…It's incredible…' Zabuza turned his senses towards Haku's direction, and frowned when he saw the mist begin to lift. A sudden tint spread through the world, and the air seemed to turn red. As it happened, Zabuza saw Haku jumping from the bridge, and smiled as the boy made his escape.

Kakashi though was frowning in fear at the color shift. 'This is not good…this feeling, it's like the fox, but without the malevolence…what's happening?' Kakashi turned back to see Zabuza looking at him with a stony face.

"No chance you'll surrender huh?" Zabuza's lack of reply drove home the point to Kakashi. "Fine then, I'll make this quick. I don't think I have much time, anyways." Kakashi drove forward, and shoved his fist through Zabuza's chest. As he did, Kakashi was surprised when Zabuza managed to reach forward and grab Kakashi by the front of his vest.

"Don't let them…fall into hate or despair…" Zabuza coughed up blood as he died, his eyes locked onto Kakashi's as the life flickered from them.

The mist rapidly began to fall away, and as it did, Kakashi felt his eyes widen appreciatively.

xXxXxXx

Naruto and Sakura stood, back to back, Tazuna behind them, on a small corner of the roof top. Kurama was whimpering near the old man's side, looking exhausted and weak. Surrounding them were twenty of the armed men, grinning at them viciously.

"You punks…have killed a lot of our friends. But that doesn't matter now…now we have you right where we want you…" Naruto tried not to look at the vicious man speaking, channeling wind chakra to his hands, trying to bring forth his wind claws.

'It just won't work unless I bring out the All Fours…but if I do that now, I might lose it, and just make things worse…' Naruto blurred into motion as one of the men approached, punching him in the face and kicking him back with all of his force. The man crumpled under the impact, but Naruto couldn't follow up as sword nearly cleaved him in two.

Sakura lashed her chain-whip out, and was rewarded when a hit struck home, felling one of the men. She had just enough time to yank it out of the man's throat though before the next was approaching her, arms raised high with a club in hand. Naruto drove in from the side, knocking the man off the platform, and she gave a wordless thanks. She tried to keep herself standing, but was finding it harder and harder.

"Stand back boys…I've got just the thing to finish this off…" Naruto groaned as he looked up to see a large man, easily twice his size, with a large red club. Naruto felt his eyes go wide as he looked at it more closely.

'That's not red! Those are explosive tags…a shit ton of explosive tags!' Naruto backpedaled towards Sakura, and the girl locked eyes with him worriedly. 'We're…we're going to die here!' Naruto flashed his hands through the seals rapidly, and grimaced when he felt the spike in bloodlust.

The large man charged forward as the group fell back, and Naruto charged forward to face the mercenary. Sakura tried to call him back, but Naruto disregarded her. Blood was pumping in his ears as he watched the club close towards him; Naruto aimed for the man's arms, trying to slice through them. He was rewarded with the sounds of flesh and bone rending, and grinned as the blood flecked over his face. The feelings of dominance made Naruto want to cry out, and Naruto grinned malevolently at the man.

Who was returning the grin! Naruto scowled and clawed into the man's face, scratching him further. As he did, he turned, expecting to see the club launched away from the group. What he saw made him stop short, and time seemed to slow.

The club was at Tazuna's feet. It was glowing red. The man reached to move away, and Sakura lunged to grab it. But Kurama beat her to it, and jumped of the structure. Time moved in slow motion for Naruto as he watched Kurama leap away from the scaffolding, flying over the bridge, towards the ocean water below.

"No…" The explosion was deafening. It rocked the scaffolding, and nearly tore the place down on its own. "NO!" Naruto fell to his knees, screaming his lungs out as he watched the explosion. Red seemed to cover the boy's vision as he felt the bond of partnership fade, and die out. 'Kurama…no, not Kurama…why…why!'

The mercenaries seemed at a loss for a moment, before one of them let out a low whistle. Chuckles soon emerged from the group, and Naruto turned to them, rage filling his eyes. "Too bad, kid. That fox of yours would have made a great coat liner…"

There was the feeling of thunder without sound. All of the mercenaries fell back, and Tazuna was grabbed by Sakura. Red seemed to bathe the world, and the air around Naruto grew denser, and crackled ominously.

"Hey, where are we going! Is it safe to just leave him like that!" Sakura swung the man down the scaffolding, using her whip to latch onto ledges as she went.

"Right now, the safest place is away from Naruto…He's not going to be in control right now." Sakura grimaced, and felt tears stain her face. 'I can't cry…A shinobi is not supposed to have emotion…I can't cry, damn it.'

As the two of them landed on the ground, they watched as red light seemed to pool from the water near the side of the bridge. It formed into a ball, and headed towards the stop of the scaffolding. As it did, the mist began to lift all the way across the bridge, and Sakura turned to see Sasuke, free of the ice dome, face down on the ground.

Her heart skipped a beat in worry, and grimaced as she watched Sasuke's opponent break away, before dashing off the bridge. Turning she saw Kakashi-sensei, and beyond him, something that filled her with dread.

"Tazuna-san…you need to come with me…" Sakura pushed herself to her feet and began to move away from the bridge. Away from the gathering number of Gatou's men that stood behind Kakashi.

xXxXxXx

Naruto felt his gaze settle on his enemies. He watched them all begin to grow uncomfortable with his glare, and smiled. He watched as an orb of red chakra floated towards him. Were it any other time, Naruto would have wondered at the sight.

At the moment, he just didn't care. At the moment, all he saw in front of him was prey. Prey that had hounded him, that had pushed him into a corner. Prey that had attacked, and killed one of his precious companions, one of his families, and had thus pushed his sanity to the limits.

It was time to push back. His claws grew longer, and Naruto felt his vision narrow and become tinted red. Whether it was his vision or the world around him, he did not know. All he knew was that he liked the feeling.

"You shouldn't have said that man! This kid is a ninja, he's going to kill us!" Naruto was suddenly in front of the voice, and grinned as his hand tore through the things voice box. Naruto slammed his hand through the man's chest, and then kicked him off of the scaffolding. Some of them began to turn to run, but Naruto just grinned wider.

In a blur, he had cleared the rooftop, and smiled as his claws sang with the wind, with blood, and with death. The screams of the men were a symphony to his ears, and they fell as chaff before the reaper. Naruto grimaced when some jumped from the roof top, trying to make it towards the water. Naruto flashed down after them, cushioning his impact with a roar, before turning and slashing through his opponents. He smiled as they fell, and stood in the falling rain of blood. He noted idly, that his body was wrapped in a red, bubbling aura, and that it hurt. Yet, at the moment, it did not trouble the blonde greatly.

'_**Good…Revel in the feeling…let it seep into your being…'**_

The voice seemed to come from inside of Naruto, and the boy only smiled wider. The idea of reveling in the blood was perfect, and Naruto howled with the pleasure and the pain.

xXxXxXx

"You did quite well, Kakashi. Almost better than I would have liked you to do…You managed to kill Zabuza, and got his accomplice to run away…Your ninja managed to kill my more disloyal men, and your absence of Tazuna during the first few days let me recruit heavily from the towns people, saying that Tazuna was planning a rebellion." Kakashi grimaced as he stared down Gatou. Behind the short man stood dozens of men, rows thick, and brandishing a large assortment of weapons.

'I'm still too tired to fight…and I don't know how Sasuke or Sakura's situation, let alone Naruto's…' Kakashi sighed, and lowered his Sharingan, feeling the drain of it spread over his body. As he did, he suddenly tensed as a feeling of malevolence spread over the entire battlefield. 'Damn, I'm too late…but if he can be directed at Gatou…'

"What the hell is happening Hatake?" Gatou looked about in fear, the growing bloodlust enough to make him cringe in horror. "Call your ninja off, I have hostages! There will be hell to pay if they attack me!" Kakashi grimaced inwardly, and leapt back and away from the man. As he did, the sounds of battle exploded from the tops of the nearby scaffolding. There was the sound of men being torn apart, howls of pain, and the wet impact of bodies on cement.

"Sorry Gatou, but ninja don't make deals with demons…though I think you'll get to meet one soon…" Kakashi jumped back from the group of men, quickly heading for Sasuke's position. He discovered the boy facedown, and with injuries in numerous spots from senbon.

Kakashi moved in to confirm the worst, and was rewarded with Sasuke grunting slightly as he pressed a hand to the boy's neck. 'A false death like before…seems Zabuza's student was not as ruthless as mine…I don't even know if that's a good thing or not…' Kakashi hoisted the boy onto his shoulder, and turned to see Tazuna and Sakura bolting from the bridge. 'At least Sakura is street smart as well as book smart…'

Kakashi turned in time to see Naruto landing on the bridge, the fox tailed cloak wrapped around his frame. 'I almost pity Gatou for what is about to happen…almost. But I need to get Sasuke to Sakura and then grab a soldier pill. I'll need everything I have to use the Sharingan on the fox.' Kakashi stumbled, his lack of chakra making his Shunshin fail abruptly. Sighing, the man dragged Sasuke towards his other charge, his conscience screaming at him as he moved away from the coming massacre.

xXxXxXx

As Naruto's howl faded, he sensed the presence of new prey on the bridge. Quickly bounding to the top of the scaffolding, Naruto turned his eyes upon a glorious sight. His blood sang as he looked upon the crowd of assembled prey below him. He frowned though as he saw Kakashi standing there.

'Kakashi…he's not prey…not prey, for now.'

'_**Don't let him take your kills! Kill him now, before he can!' **_

Naruto heard the voice clearly this time, and frowned. It was saying something that disagreed with him, and Naruto tried to think of where the voice was coming from. As he did, he was suddenly doubled over in pain. The red bubbling feeling increased, and he howled anew in pain and anger.

As he rose, he looked below him and saw Kakashi leap away from the group. Naruto smiled at that, and felt the pain subside slightly. Before it was too far gone though, he was upon his prey once more. When he landed in front of the group, a small man stood to face him, terror evident upon his face.

"Stop! I have hostages! I'll kill—Gurk!" Naruto smiled as his claws exploded from the man's throat. A moment later, he brought the man up to his eye level, and smiled wickedly at him.

"Hostages…enemies…what's the difference?" Naruto was surprised by his statement, but the look of terror he received washed such thoughts away. He heard cries from the crowd, and smiled as he lashed into his opponent's chest, ripping out his heart and chucking the corpse aside.

Naruto crushed it as he looked at his enemies, crushed it as he stared down the assembled crowd. It was slow, at first, but some began to turn away. Then the trickle became a flood, and Naruto was in motion, screaming with pleasure as he tore through body after body. Before he knew what had happened, he had killed everyone in sight. Killed them, and kept going without the slightest pause.

His grin slowly fell though, as he realized some had escaped. He turned behind him, and heard the terrified cries of gagged prey, and smiled at the thoughtfulness of his enemies.

'_**Kill them all! Kill them, and bathe in their blood!'**_

Naruto gave into the voice, and brought his claws upon them. There were few there, a man, and two women and one child. The man died quickly, his salt and pepper hair staining with red. The older woman fell just as fast, a claw shooting through her skull and out the other side. The child though, the child looked familiar, and seemed to recognize Naruto. It almost made the boy pause as he drove a fist through the second woman, his claws bathing in red blood and organs.

'Something isn't right here…I need to stop!' Naruto felt his movements slow, and watched as the life drained from the woman, and his eyes flashing in recognition. 'NO! If that was her then…' Naruto tried to slow his body, to halt the movement, but his fist buried itself into the child's chest too soon.

"NO!" The scream ripped from Naruto's throat, and he fell to his knees. The bubbling aura was gone, and the feeling of bloodlust, of abandon, was passing. It did nothing to halt the pain as Naruto looked on.

"Naruto…why?" The coughed question brought Naruto's eyes away from his fist and onto the boy's face. He saw the black hair, the military helmet, and a crossbow on the boy's back. He saw the suspenders, and the sandals, and the bandages. He saw the eyes, wide with betrayal, and sadness.

"Inari…I…I didn't mean to, I…I tried to stop…Come on, you're not dead! You're not dead!" Naruto yanked his hand from the boy's chest and jumped back at the spray of blood. The boy's eyes reflected nothing as Naruto gripped him, pounded on his chest and wailed at the heavens. "You can't die! I had to prove to you that hero's exist! I had to make you see the light in the world! You can't die!" Naruto's cry reached up to heaven, and the sky began to snow. Slowly, softly, it fell onto the boy's shoulders, as he gasped out his sadness.

"I wasn't in time…" Kakashi watched from a distance. He had arrived just as Naruto had landed the final blow. Just in time to see the fox aura, in all of its brilliance and terrifying power. Just in time to witness his student, the son of his teacher, break completely.

Kakashi stayed where he was, not wanting to move forward and tip the boy back into his demonic rage. He watched though, as Naruto cradled the body, crying and weeping. Choking out words as the blood drained from the boy's hands.

"Kurama…Inari…why…What have I done? What have I become?" Naruto clenched his hands around Inari's frame, turning his face towards the heavens, "What am I?" Kakashi merely looked towards the ground, already knowing that no answer would return.

When he looked up, Naruto was sobbing on the ground, Inari's form beneath him, and Kakashi felt his eyes widen. 'The fox's chakra…it changed him…this, this will cause problems…'

xXxXxXx

Blaze Release: Blaze Blade C-Rank technique. The user wraps a weapon in fire and lightning chakra, using the heat to enhance the energy in the surrounding are, making it easier for static discharge. Not horribly concentrated, but enough to make it through slight armor.

NOT IN THE FACE! I know, bad cliff hanger, and it was an emotionally challenging moment, but still…NOT IN THE FACE!

Just to point out, that was tough to write. Necessary, but tough to write. Ugh…I hope this goes over well. Read and Review everyone, I look forward to the responses this time. I don't know if I built the tension right, so tell me if it flowed well please!


	9. Chapter 9 : Dogs of War

ALRIGHT! BACK AND IN ACTION! Hey everybody, sorry for the week break, there was a couple of exams I had to catch up on, as well as some side projects. Fact is, school is kicking, and life is moving, so I was falling a bit behind on writing. Hopefully this will make up for it, I'm going to have this out by the end of this weekend for sure. To start off with, the standard author note:

First off, thanks to everyone for the positive reviews, and the compliments on the writing. That was nice to get, and slightly unexpected. I had a lot of trouble writing this last chapter, it took a lot of work to get things set right and I rewrote it three or four times in certain parts. So thanks to all the positive reviewers out there, that was nice.

So…last chapter, couple deaths, lots of blood, but I just want to send out a reminder to everyone. With the exception of one or two characters, I killed almost no named characters, and no characters that had extensive scenes. Death happens in my stories, sometimes in big ways, as death does that too in real life. Sorry to those expecting a nice happy bubble; I like to pop those once in a while. That being said, there will not be much main character deaths for a while, so rest assured, I'm not on a mass death spree.

There will however be long reaching repercussions of what just happened, so expect this next arc to flesh out what some of those are, as well as help lead up to the Chuunin exam and develop the emotional bonds and long term plot changes.

That being said, here we go! I own nothing but the original stuff!

xXxXxXx

Kakashi approached the huddled form of his student, looking over the changes the fox had wrought on his charge. The brown blonde hair was gone, and now looked to match that blonde of the Yondaime Hokage's perfectly. The eyes were the same blue color, but Kakashi noted what appeared to be slits running through the center of the eyes. Naruto's cheek marks had also changed to thick black streaks, and the red was completely faded away. Harsh fangs protruded from his lips, ending around the center of the space between his bottom lip and chin. Black outlines etched around his eyes as well, framing them like those of a fox. His hands had shifted completely into claws, and new muscle rippled threateningly along Naruto's arms, back and torso, straining at the armor that was left on the boy's form.

Kakashi noted idly that the battle had ripped off Naruto's jacket, and that the Inuzuka armor was cracked in many places. The cracks revealed obvious places where slices had gone through it earlier. No wounds were apparent though; none of the wounds were physically visible.

'The mental wounds will take quite a bit longer to heal though…I'll need to hide this image from Sasuke and Sakura though for a while until I can explain it to them…' Kakashi steeled his nerves and stepped within reach of Naruto. Naruto did not react at all as the man came within arms-reach but jerked harshly upon being touched by the older ninja.

"Naruto. You need to calm down now." Kakashi's eye bored into Naruto's, and Naruto looked at it in fear and shame. "It's going to be alright. I'll explain everything to you, but for now, you need to calm down." Kakashi stared into the boy's eyes, and watched the terror fade slightly before the boy nodded. Kakashi moved in quickly and placed a hand on Naruto's forehead and channeled a slight amount of chakra into the boy's system. As he did, Naruto blinked once slowly before falling forward into Kakashi's grasp, unconscious.

"He really pushed himself with the fox's chakra…" Kakashi looked around, and flinched as he saw what had happened. "…Zabuza really did make this a right crock-up though…and it's my fault this happened to Naruto as well…" Kakashi sighed trying to smother his mounting guilt as he lifted Naruto and pulled him back and away from the bodies. Once he was a fair distance away, he began to administer a seal onto Naruto, wincing as his lowered chakra reserves began to take a toll on him.

Smiling as the genjutsu fell over the boy, Kakashi watched his breathing stabilize as his former features returned readily. 'That should hold unless he needs to flush his system rather harshly…the mental barrier though will have to be lowered by Inoichi later on...' Kakashi winced as he saw Naruto blink one eye open blearily and regard Kakashi in a forlorn manner.

"Kakashi-sensei…what happened out there? What am I? That…that wasn't anything like a blood rage for an Inuzuka…" Kakashi winced, feeling the guilt mount as he looked at Naruto.

'Good thing I shifted his hair color back, otherwise this would really hurt to say…Sensei…I've failed you as a student and as your son's teacher…' Kakashi sighed and sat down next to Naruto, ruffling his hair lightly.

"Naruto…you remember the story about the Fourth Hokage defeating the Kyuubi…the same day that you were born?" Naruto nodded at Kakashi, his eye's already widening in fear at the start to the explanation.

"There's no easy way to say this, so here goes…The Fourth couldn't kill the fox. The Bijuu are chakra constructs, they reform rather quickly if they are not sealed in a vessel. Unfortunately, the fox is too powerful to be sealed in an ordinary container." Kakashi turned his eye lazily on his student, and was saddened to see the horrified look on Naruto's face.

"The only container that can hold the nine tails is a human child, Naruto. The only child that the Fourth had around on the day of the Fox attack was you. He sealed the fox into you, and he died in the process." Naruto eyes widened in horror, and he backed away from harshly from Kakashi, stumbling as he did.

"No! I'm not the fox! I can't be the fox!" Kakashi moved quickly and grabbed Naruto by the wrist, pulling him close.

"You are not the fox Naruto. You are the container, and as such, a hero of the village." Kakashi stared down at Naruto, pulling the boy close as tears started to break out from his eyes.

"Why? Why me, Kakashi-sensei? Why did all of this have to happen on my first damned mission?" Naruto sobbed against Kakashi's torso, and the scarecrow did not know what to say as he stood there and consoled the boy. Kakashi finally stooped and looked the boy in the eye, a smile plastered on his face as he was torn apart inside.

"Naruto…there are reasons why you were chosen for this duty, reasons that will be explained when we return to Konoha. For now though, I need you to try to stifle your curiosity and control your emotions. One thing I have learned is that while you are emotional, the fox's power is drawn out more powerfully. I need you to keep your emotions in check for the safety of the team, alright? You can keep us safe by doing that." Kakashi smiled at the boy, hoping that was enough to stifle the boy's need to know for now.

"I…I don't know if I can do that, Kakashi-sensei. What if I fail? What if it happens again?" Kakashi felt his heart clench as he looked at the frightened image of his student. The boy's eyes were wide and held such fear and sadness, the likes that Kakashi had not seen since he saw his sensei's at the death of Obito.

"I'll be there to stop it next time Naruto. And you will get stronger at using your techniques, and you will grow. And, I'll let you in on something important. The Sharingan is how I can stop the fox from controlling you if I am there and ready." Kakashi smiled down at the confused look on Naruto's face.

"That means Sasuke will be able to stop your rampages later on as well. Sakura's genjutsu will also limit you from finding and harming her as well. You have teammates that keep you from harming them Naruto. And teammates that will get stronger so that you don't have to use that power." Naruto smiled weakly at that, and clutched at Kakashi, hiding his tears in the older man's torso. The boy's sobs ripped through Kakashi as he held the boy, awkwardly rubbing his hair as he did.

xXxXxXx

Tazuna straightened in his chair at the sound of a door opening. As he did, he saw Kakashi enter the house, Naruto slung over his back as he did. Naruto was completely from the way he looked, and Tazuna noticed that there were numerous places where the boy's armor was carved into and damaged. The man also noticed that Kakashi's frame seemed to be laden with more than the weight of battle; sadness seeped off of the man's frame with every step.

Sakura turned from her place by the kitchen window, pulling a final bandage out and placing it on one of Sasuke's injuries. As she did, she schooled her features. 'I abandoned Naruto out there…I know it was the right thing to do…but I can't help but feel I abandoned him…' The girl's fists tightened unnecessarily on the binding, drawing a wince from Sasuke. Sakura blinked up at the boy, and Sasuke gave her a slight frown, but nodded in understanding.

"There was nothing you could have done Sakura…you were exhausted, and Naruto was going into a berserk rage. Kakashi told us those kinds of things can happen with the Inuzuka, as a final fail safe; they lose control then, and cannot discern friend from foe. You were right to withdraw." Sasuke's logic, cold and calculating, did nothing to ease the girl's worries, and for once she turned away harshly from him with a frown on her face.

"Even so…what I did wasn't right!" Sakura gripped her hands by her side, grasping at her whips, and clenching her eyes to keep the tears at bay. Sakura's voice caused Naruto to stir lightly from his spot on Kakashi's back, and Sakura turned to look at the boy apologetically. As she did, Naruto blinked once at her, and she saw the dead look in his eyes.

The depth of apathy there set her heart to ice, and Sakura had to force herself to look away. 'I caused that…that's my fault…damn it…I need to catch up to these two…I can't let this happen to either of them again…'

Sasuke also noted the look in the boy's eyes, and frowned at what he saw there. He had not been told of what had happened yet, only that Sakura kept blaming herself for the incident. 'The idiot's never looked that bad…what happened out there?'

"Tazuna-san, we'll need to talk later. For now, Naruto needs to rest, and it would be better for your safety and the towns if we stayed in a different location for now. You can be better protected from the rogue bandits by staying in town, and it will allow us to have separate rooms to keep your location better protected at a local inn." Kakashi lied professionally to the man, his voice and timber even as he approached the bridge builder. The bridge builder sighed at this, but nodded in agreement.

"Let me gather my things then, we can leave at once." Tazuna straightened as they exited. As he looked around the house, the bridge builder noticed the absence of his daughter and grandson. 'Hopefully we can meet up with them at Gichi's later…'

In a daze, the group moved about the house, gathering necessary gear quickly before heading swiftly into the town. They were quickly situated, and after Kakashi put Naruto to bed he made his way to Tazuna's room. Sakura and Sasuke each had a room of their own, with their gear prepped for anything.

"So…what do we have to talk about?" Tazuna had felt the knot in his stomach tighten as the group had moved swiftly and quietly, and found himself fearing for the wellbeing of his family.

"I'm afraid that this mission has become complicated. The first question I need to ask you, is if you are aware that you have been betrayed." Tazuna shifted uncomfortably in his seat and shook his head at Kakashi's question. Kakashi sighed and leaned back to rub his forehead.

"We found the bodies of Gichi, Gichi's wife, Tsunami, and Inari held by Gatou's men after fighting on the bridge." Tazuna felt the breath leave his body, and his hands start to tremble as he stared Kakashi down. "They were killed at some point, before we could free them. Naruto, apparently in a rage, killed Gatou and his men during the process." Kakashi felt the half-truths leave him, and crushed his guilt at the omissions as he did.

'This is necessary to protect Naruto…to protect the leaf village and its contracts…but I hate the way it makes me feel inside…' Kakashi kept his face neutral as the words fell from his lips, his self-respect falling as he did.

"I…I thank you, and your students for what you did then. Their deaths will not be in vain if Gatou and his men were killed during the fighting." Tazuna stood robotically, the light seeming to have left his eyes. "I will be in my room, and when I go to the bridge, I would appreciate it if two of you would guard me at all times. Though I do not think it is necessary now, it would give me and my men the confidence to finish the bridge in peace." Kakashi nodded, and looked sadly at the old man.

"I extend you my condolences for what it is worth. My students and I will remain and protect you until your bridge is completed. With the damages to the bridge, do you think the bridge will be pushed back by much?" Tazuna shook his head at that, his hand on the door knob.

"With the death of Gatou and his men, as well as the remaining Gatou ships the village can seize, we can rebuild rather quickly. Wave will recover from this, so long as I can finish my bridge." Tazuna's voice was weary, and held barely restrained emotion as he moved from the room.

xXxXxXx

Haku moved across the landscape as fast as she could, trying to put distance between herself and Wave. She had not stopped running since the end of the battle at the bridge, and had pushed herself to return to her home country as soon as she was able. The large blade strapped to her back did nothing to help in her speedy escape.

'It's hard to believe I am returning home, after everything that Zabuza-san trained me in…still, with the civil war turning, it seems like I might find a new position of power with the rebels…' Haku tried to calm herself as the landscape breezed by. Currently, she was making her way along the coastline of Fire Country, hoping to approach a port town and stow away on a ship there.

Turning at the sound of footsteps, Haku brought herself to a complete standstill as she landed on a tree branch and flushed herself into the shadows.

"Can you believe that! We got sent into battle against a demon, a real live demon!" Haku saw men below, ones that were obviously from the battle of the bridge. There was an old man, with a scar running across his face, and a young woman in her thirties. They were dressed in makeshifts clothes, and had the air of poverty and wretchedness about them.

"That's what we get for signing up with men like Gatou and Zabuza!" Haku had to strain to keep herself from killing the loud cry of the harpy woman, her voice grating on Haku's every nerve.

"They still should have warned us about possibly facing a demon! I'm telling you, I left River Country way back in the day because of the Third Shinobi War, and I got to see what one of those damned monsters could do up close when Suna invaded!" The old man seemed to rub at the scar running across his face as he thought on the memory.

"Just because you heard about some great Sand warrior doesn't mean it was a demon! Still, that little bastard was sure vicious back there…murdered the lot of them that tried to stand their ground." The old man shook his head and rubbed his arms at the night air.

"I'm telling you, that was a demon out there. The villages have them, each one has one. I remember from the war when some of them were unleashed in open combat with the Samurai of each country." The old man turned and fixed the woman with a hard glare. "That boy, he reeked of the demon's power. That was what we faced out there, that blonde-haired, red-eyed, demon child."

Haku reeled at the information, as the old man's description would match perfectly what she had seen and felt of the battle near the bridge. 'So, Konoha has a demon container, and one with blonde hair and red eyes…perhaps with that information and Zabuza-sama's sword, I can regain my citizenship in Mist.'

xXxXxXx

Naruto stared blankly at the glass in his hand, trying to focus on the food in front of him. Nothing seemed to taste right as he ate, and his motions seemed slow and robotic. Several times, he shuddered from the sensations of something resting on his shoulder.

'He should still be here…Kurama…' Naruto tried not to focus on the sensations, blocking them and everything else out around him. He could tell that his actions were affecting his teammates; Sasuke was more brooding than usual, and Sakura seemed completely dejected. Still, the act of bringing himself to care was just too much trouble.

He heard Kakashi announce something about guard duty for the bridge, and quickly shot-gunned the drink in his hand so as to not focus on what was being said. 'It's stupid that we still have to protect Tazuna after what I did…why would he want me here at all? I'm completely useless…I couldn't even save Inari or Tsunami in time…Guess that's why I have to stay inside all the time these days…no place for useless ninja in this world…' Naruto turned and stood quickly from the table, heading swiftly to his room.

Sakura watched the disappearing form of Naruto, and felt the guilt twist inside of her. 'If I had stayed to help, I might have gotten him to calm down…maybe, if I had been faster, or stronger, Kurama would still be here…' Sakura felt the tears sting at the corner of her eyes; only her training and her parent's 'upbringing' helped her keep her emotions in check.

Sasuke watched the retreating form and grunted in derision. 'Where does he get off…moping like he's the damn star of a tragedy…yeah, he wasn't fast enough to save Inari or Tsunami, but it's not like he killed them himself.' Sasuke's fists tightened at his side, and he shoved roughly back from the table as well.

"Is there something wrong Sasuke?" Sasuke turned a venomous glare on Kakashi, but kept his facial expression as neutral as possible.

"I don't want to waste time anymore. You had ways for Naruto and I to get stronger before the battle, there must be other ways to get stronger, faster, like we did then. Send me to guard the bridge today, and you can come and train me." Sasuke activated his Sharingan, feeling the details of the world spring to life as he did. The colors and sensations were amazing, as the world seemed so much clearer, simpler, and easier to understand.

"I still don't know how to utilize this properly. You will need to train me in how to use it, the sooner the better judging by this last battle." Sasuke's tone was clipped and harsh as his eyes bored into Kakashi. Sakura sucked her breath in through her teeth as she watched the exchange, waiting for Kakashi's explosion at Sasuke's actions.

Kakashi was meanwhile trying to be angry at the outburst, but for some reason the emotions just would not come forth. As Sasuke stood there, demanding training, and demanding help with his techniques, he remembered how Obito had asked him, when they were younger, for similar advice at times. He remembered how his sensei had always taken time for Obito, and how Kakashi had brushed him off. Most of all, he remembered similar red eyes boring into his when his friend was killed in the war.

Kakashi felt a rattling sigh leave his chest as he stood wearily. Sasuke stood his ground, his eyes not leaving Kakashi's as the man rose to tower over the impudent clan heir.

"Fine." Sakura stiffened at the simple statement, looking between the two of them expectantly. Kakashi moved forward until he stood in front of Sasuke, and nodded once to the boy.

"Naruto has had a week to recover, and he has yet to have a violent outbreak. On top of that, he has been improving in my sessions, and seems to be moving through the stages of grief. I will train you today Sasuke, while we guard the bridge. Sakura, you are on suicide watch today for Naruto." Sakura looked worriedly between the two, but nodded in agreement to the stated orders.

"Don't worry Sakura. As depressed as Naruto is, he's not the type to do that." Sasuke's voice was full of confidence as he addressed the girl, and she seemed to brighten slightly at the words, though she couldn't help but notice the hidden undertone of disdain in Sasuke's voice.

"We'll be back at the usual time. Try not to crowd him too much, alright Sakura?" Sakura nodded to Kakashi, and turned and smiled lightly at Sasuke. Sasuke blinked once at the action, but let a miniscule smirk play across his lips as he nodded in return.

'She's taking the death of Kurama quite hard…it would be too much if I told them the whole truth about Inari and Tsunami. With the memory suppression seal I placed on Naruto, the truth of the incident should stay under wraps for now…I just hope that when we get him back, Inoichi can ease him into the mental reintegration…' Kakashi sighed as he headed to Tazuna's room, the guilt eating away at his insides as he did. The whole reason he had left ANBU in the first place was to avoid these types of situations; it would just figure that the first team he passes in years puts him right back into the fires of hell.

xXxXxXx

Fire seared through Haku's veins as she tried to desperately keep warm. The ship she had stowed away on was caught in a rare storm, and the small storage hold she had slipped into was unprotected from the elements. The ship was wealthy enough apparently to have had several undercover shinobi littered on the boat already, and it was all Haku could do to maintain an illusion technique in the middle of the terrible weather.

Worse than that, the waves and spray crashed onto the deck, and plastered the battle kimono to Haku's withering frame. It had been several hard days since the escape, with relatively little food and money as scarce as could be. Once, Haku had considered selling Zabuza's sword, only to realize that to do so would raise unnecessary questions as to how she had acquired such a blade.

The blade itself was the only shelter she had from the cold at the moment, and Haku could feel the hours slip by, one after another. It was the best ship she could find after scouting the docks for two days. It was the only one that would be making a single day passage to Mist, and was going there under cover of night; a perfect situation for a skilled enough stow away to sneak aboard.

Save for the fact that there were hidden shinobi in the crew ranks, the ship was sailing through some of the oceans most dangerous waters, and the only places actually suitable to hide were the ones that were the most miserable on the ship.

'It's times like these I wish that I had possessed the chakra reserves to learn Zabuza's Orca summoning…it would have been ridiculously useful for getting to Mist…' Haku had learned the seals, and signed the contract, but knew from Zabuza's lectures that she was far from powerful enough to summon even the most basic of the Orcas.

The only positive about the trip was that Haku had learned through the grapevines of rumor that there was talk of Konoha's super weapon being sent to Wave, and of a deal being brokered between the two villages. The latter was definitely a new part of the bargain, as Wave would not have had such a bargaining position before the mission began. As for the super weapon, from Haku's encounter with the escaped bandits, she could understand where those rumors were coming from.

'Still, something does not add up…the Yondaime Hokage is known around the Land of Fire for defeating the Kyuubi, which I remember from my travels with Zabuza. But why would he seal it into a child? It could be that it is the only acceptable option for sealing, but that also doesn't sit right.' The wind blew harshly, and Haku had to curl herself into a ball to avoid the spray.

'The Yondaime was known for being an equal minded individual…he wouldn't sacrifice any of the villagers children before his own…unless he had a child of his own!' Haku felt realization rip through her body at the sudden understanding.

'He used his own child! He used his own child, and he hid it from the world. The boy, in the clearing, had dusty brown hair, and a facial complexion and clan affiliation that is completely different. But when the foxes power burst through, there was a moment where his hair was blonde according to the survivors. The Yondaime was famous for his blonde hair; it earned him his moniker with his signature technique…That's who that boy is…he's the scion of the Namikaze…' Haku nearly quaked with her newfound realization, conviction rushing through her frame at the discovery.

'Mist has to let me back in now…It's not much longer until we arrive…just a bit more…'

xXxXxXx

"Have all of the council members been assembled yet?" A gruff voice emanated from a man with bandages on the right side of his body, a cane gripped loosely in his hands as he stood in front of the Hokage.

"Yes Danzo, they are being assembled currently. It will not be much longer until they have all arrived." Hiruzen Sarutobi took a long draw as he regarded the man across from him. The bandages, and loose fitting Kimono, effectively hid from almost everyone the lurking strength of his old teammate. The short brown hair, scarred chin, and walking staff all added to the image in a most bizarre way. The man was seemingly fragile, and yet held an air about him that to touch him was to be carved by a finely honed sword.

"Good. This time, Hiruzen, I feel that it will be best if we both arrive together, to show our commitment together on the issue at hand." Danzo's voice was pleasant and neutral, and betrayed none of the hidden smugness. It honestly made Hiruzen sick, the tone of voice that said nothing and everything at one.

'This is necessary though…I cannot reveal the truth to the council yet, there just has not been enough time to do anything but assemble the few voices that might listen yet to reason…' The toll of the years ached in the Third Hokage's bones as he rose from his seat. The cracks and cricks of arthritis were almost deafening to the Professor's ears as he stood, like his whole frame was a giant knuckle he was cracking in anger.

"You are right, Danzo, it will not do to keep the council waiting this time. Come, there is much that must be discussed." Hiruzen took the small victory where he could as he imperiously swept out of the room, trying to keep his gaze averted from his once comrade and ally. The two descended the steps of the Hokage's tower, and before long, found themselves in a sealed room at the base of the tower. Pressing his hand to the seal, the doors swung inward to reveal a crescent moon shaped desk, as well as the seated heads of several of Konoha's most important clans.

"We were wondering if you were going to arrive early or let us chew this report over a bit longer…it is quite the tale Hokage-sama…" Homura looked up blearily from her position on the council, and Hiruzen felt himself inwardly wince with guilt. The woman was wrapped in her traditional formal wear, her eyes hidden behind glasses and her hair done up in a bun. She exuded pomp and circumstance from her position on the council.

"I assure you, councilwoman, as well as all of the other councilors, the story is one hundred percent true. Tsume-san will also verify the accuracy of the account as well though, to provide an unbiased opinion for the council." Tsume sat in her seat, and though the Hokage tried to seek out her eye for agreement, all that could be seen there was a simple look of grief and torment. Hiruzen sighed briefly, before making his way to the center of the council ring, where he took the highest backed seat available. Danzo filtered himself into a similar position on the right of the Hokage.

"So then, it is true. Konoha has a Jinchuuriki, one whose very existence was kept secret from the village for thirteen years." Shibi Aburame's voice filtered into the neutral hall of the council, and as it did, several eyes lifted from the report to glance among the other members. Shibi sat couched in his overcoat, his face hidden in a hood and his eyes covered by black glasses.

"Yes, that is the case. The Fourth Hokage wanted the identity of the child well protected, as he feared a similar case to that of Kushina Uzumaki could occur if it was largely known by the general populace." Hiruzen's voice was even and neutral betraying none of his inner turmoil.

"What is the reason the child was chosen?" Hiashi's voice spread over the group, an even and calm tone filtering into the tense air. The Hyuuga was couched in fine robes, and had his hair back and swept to the side, displaying his forehead proudly.

"Does the child's lineage matter? What I want to know, is why he was raised with the Inuzuka! The Uchiha clan, when it was still around, would have been best for raising the child, as they could have halted an outbreak had it occurred!" One of the council members, a civilian from the looks of it, was clearly outraged about the whole event.

"The Uchiha clan was offered a chance to raise and protect the child, and they declined. The Nara clan and the Yamanaka clan also declined the offer." Inoichi's voice speared the council member's protests, and the man flustered before lowering himself to his seat. Inoichi himself was actually looking in chagrin over the papers in front of him, remembering that night from long ago.

"The child's lineage does however matter in this case, Lord Hokage." Hiashi's calm tone once again attempted to filter into the group. "If the child is from a great clan, he cannot be executed for his crimes; if he is not however, and if Lord Jiraiya is able to make a transfer, then a new container will need to be sought out." The Third sighed in his seat, and nodded once to Danzo.

Danzo's hands flashed through several seals, and a moment later, scrolls appeared in front of every council member. On the outside was an intricate looking seal, with a circle surrounding an obvious blood sacrifice marking.

"A binding life contract? He's from a clan that important that it needs a binding life contract for his data to be unsealed? This is far too troublesome…" Shikaku Nara sat with his eyes wide open, and his face as neutral and bored as possible. Internally though, the man was quivering with some excitement. 'We were told on the night of the attack that the third had just picked a random orphan! If that wasn't the case, then this is very interesting…'

Tsume looked at her scroll in disbelief, remembering the same scroll that she had been given after she had agreed to raise Naruto after the night of the attack. She swiped the blood quickly, and unrolled the document. When she did, she was unsurprised to see the same information plastered across the page. 'So…because of the Namikaze and Uzumaki name, you will be spared death…still, the Clan cannot welcome you home once your names are known Naruto…' Tsume struggled to keep the sigh from ripping from her throat as she looked over the information. For too long, the woman had been denying to herself that Naruto was truly of the Inuzuka Clan.

"A Namikaze! And an Uzumaki! We had such a child living within our walls and the villagers were not informed of it! Hokage-sama, I must protest!" Again, the civilian council member was on his feet, anger flushed across the plain looking man's face.

"You can protest all you like! His lineage is clear as day there, and whether or not you have a problem with the Namikaze or Uzumaki, they are Great Clans in Konoha!" Tsume's voice was raw and biting as she howled at the idiotic man. 'What is that idiot thinking, bringing those old grudges to light once more!'

"My apologies Tsume-san, but the Namikaze were renowned for causing social upheaval and the Uzumaki for unfairly having access to the Hokage's interests since the beginning of the village! Now, we have both of those together in one person, who is also the nine-tailed fox's container and has aspirations for Hokage? That seems a bit too much of a coincidence." The man pompously drew his Kimono sleeves around himself as he returned to his seat. "I think the Fourth planned this, to cause dramatic change inside our village!" Hiruzen coughed once to draw the attention away from a council member for a moment.

"While the council member has a point, there is one area of concern yet, even with Naruto's lineage being as such. That is the reestablishment of a clan. To reestablish a clan, it takes a vote of confidence from three potential backers." Hiruzen nodded toward Tsume, and then let a small smile grace his lips. "Presently, despite Naruto's outbreak, we have two clans that will give such a vote. All that is needed is one further vote to cement the reestablishment of both the Namikaze and Uzumaki clans in Naruto's name." This drew quite the number of murmurs from the assembled councilors.

"Now may not be the best time to reestablish such a clan, Hokage-sama. We have reports that Orochimaru and other elements are on the move again, and such a statement might only draw added reason for an attack on our village." Danzo's voice was clear and even as he spoke to the group, trying to understand the game his old friend played at. 'It's obvious that this is an attempt to win the general populace, Hiruzen, but why the gamesmanship now? Would this not make it more difficult for Naruto to earn his recognition on his own?'

Hiruzen nodded to Danzo in turn and then coughed into his hand lightly before turning to face the assembled councilors.

"While Danzo-san has a point about this not being the most opportune time to announce such a lineage, our hand may be pressed sooner than we like. There are reports already of the incident at the bridge spreading as far as Kiri and Kumo; if the trend continues, the truth about the incident will be known across the five elemental countries anyways. If we report on it first, we get the chance to spin the news and stories the way we want. If we wait, our opponents get the first move, and we will be forced to react." Danzo felt his own eyebrows rise as he stared at the elderly Hokage; he was not alone in the gesture, as the whole room seemed taken aback.

"There is some truth to that…However, this is something that all members are going to need time to think over carefully. Besides that, we cannot just allow such an action to happen and not have follow up repercussions or measures to ensure it does not reoccur." Shikaku sat with his hands in his lap, formed into a traditional thinking pose as he stared over the assembled crowd.

"My teammate is right." Chouza Akimichi spoke from the right of Shikaku, his large frame and armor setting him apart from his compatriots rather noticeably. "If we are to have any ability to vote on the matter, Naruto will need to be brought in for a full hearing. He will also need to have his seal examined by Jiraiya, and mental counseling from Yamanaka-san." Several nods came to the Akimichi's suggestion, and Hiruzen sighed in relief at the direction of the conversation. Grumbles still came from one or two of the conservative civilian councilors, but Hiruzen mostly ignored them; they were merely advisors, and held no actual votes of power.

"In that case, I suggest we take a repose for a few days. I'm sure that members are eager to go over the details again of the clan reestablishment protocols, as well as to clear dockets for a full council hearing." Hiruzen was met with several nods from the assembled group, and smiled contentedly. "In the meantime, I will have Jiraiya sent for, and have the necessary clan heirlooms delivered to the Inuzuka Clan Head." Hiruzen nodded to Tsume, and the woman returned the gesture politely, her features still schooled, though strained with grief and guilt.

As the Hokage stood, so did the other dignitaries, and in mere moments the room emptied into nothingness.

xXxXxXx

Naruto felt as if his whole life was empty at the moment. 'I failed Tsunami…I failed Inari, and I failed Kurama…no one can count on me, I'm useless and worthless.' Anger welled inside the boy, and Naruto felt his face flush with heat as he sat in his room, the mirror staring back at him from every angle. The shades were drawn, and the room pitched in darkness. Outside, Naruto could hear the sounds of movement, of life; inside, it seemed those sounds came from another reality, another place.

Lifting his head at the sound of a knock on the door, Naruto grunted just loud enough for Sakura to hear. 'I hope she isn't mad about the mirror…I know I broke the last one, but when I get mad, I just can't stand to look at what I am now…' Naruto spared a glance upward as he stared at the broken shards decorating the floor, and the places where the glass had fallen out of his hands. The fox healed him quickly enough now that it would force out foreign intrusions in time, but it still hurt like a bitch. Not that Naruto noticed at the moment.

"Hey, I'm supposed to be on guard duty today." The grunt Sakura got in return made her gut clench. She noticed the glass on the floor, and Naruto's expression. 'He's angry again…the genjutsu fell away and he's harming himself…God, Naruto, what happened to you out there?' Sakura stepped gingerly into the room, and began to sweep up the glass quietly.

"You don't have to do that, Sakura. I can get it later." Sakura merely shook her head and began to gather the fragments silently. "Seriously, why the hell do you care? Or is it just that you like the strong silent types?" Naruto's voice was filled with vitriol, most of it targeting himself, but some still splashed onto the poor girl.

"You're my teammate, Naruto. Of course I care about you. And while I am normally a fan of the strong silent type, you don't do that type very well. You're a happy person, with way too much positive energy for your own good." Sakura turned and smiled sadly at the boy, before turning to throw the debris out.

"I don't think I'm going to be the happy person again for a while. Or the exuberant person again for a while; the exuberant and happy person died out there on that bridge." Naruto's voice was low, harsh, and full of despair and self-loathing.

"That's not true, and you know it. You just need time to recover. It will take some time to recover from any loss, but those closest to you take the longest." Naruto's gaze flicked up from his lap, and Sakura had to fight back a gasp as Naruto's slitted eyes bored into her own.

"And how long do you figure it will take me to get over Kurama's death? Or Inari and Tsunami's? You act like this is just something I can get over! It's going to take time, time we don't have as Shinobi!" Naruto grit his teeth as he stared at her, his fangs digging lightly into his jaw and his claws gripping his knees until they began to bleed.

"There are ways to speed up that time though, and working with some of the Yamanaka is the best way to speed your recovery. That's the reason Konoha can field so many ninja, you know? The Yamanaka help our shinobi recover mentally from things that happen in the field, and are the best in the ninja world!" Sakura tried to keep her voice chipper and upbeat, and pulled her gaze forcibly from Naruto's before turning and opening up the windows to his room. Naruto flinched back at the light, and continued his glare with the girl.

"Then how come Sasuke isn't getting help from him, or Neji for that matter? Both of them seem like they could use an amazing shrink to make them better." Naruto's voice was bitter as he kept his eyes away from the window, away from the world.

"The truth is, Neji does not receive counseling because it is against the doctrines of the Hyuuga. Sasuke does not receive counseling because the beliefs of the Uchiha are such that they cannot have others guide them on their path to enlightenment." Sakura was glad she had paid attention in the clan history sections of the academy, as it came to the foreground surprisingly for once.

"Heh, figures. Oh well, the Inuzuka has nothing like that, so maybe I won't turn into as much of an emo-prick as they are…" Naruto grudgingly turned himself towards the light, and caught the outline of Sakura as she stood near the window. As he did, he remembered Tenten, and gripped his knees once again.

Sakura turned, and noticed the pained expression on the boy's face. It was different from before, seemed strained in a new way than before. "Naruto, what's wrong?" The new blonde had been having mercurial moods lately, and it was always best to see which way he was going towards at any given moment.

"Sakura…with the way I look now, will anyone ever be able to stand me? Someone that can stand the real me, and not some petty illusion?" Sakura blinked at the boy in confusion, before realization bolted through her.

"You like Tenten, don't you?" Sakura winced at her blunt statement, and saw the turmoil on Naruto's face darken appreciatively.

"Not like it matters anymore! How the hell could she ever want to be with a monster like me now?" Naruto's mood seemed to take a turn for the worse, and Sakura felt the pressure in the room begin to steadily build.

"Naruto, you need to calm down." The words were a sudden effect on Naruto, who seemed to shake himself harshly. As he did, the expression of rage and torture that had flitted across his face faded away. Gradually, the illusion Kakashi had placed on the boy returned, and his new alterations were quickly hidden.

"I'm sorry. Kakashi-sensei says the only thing I can really do now to help the team is to keep control of myself and I go and do…" Naruto's voice rose and rose then fell to nothing as the pressure in the room spiked ominously. "I'm sorry." Naruto kept his hands flat and took several slow, soothing breaths as turned and looked out the hotel window.

Sakura moved and took the seat next to him, coming to rest by his side. She took a deep breath, and then exhaled it slowly as she sat next to the blonde. Plucking up her courage, she turned to Naruto with a smile on her face.

"You know, the new look for you…I think Tenten would like it." Naruto blinked rapidly and turned to her with a stunned look on his face. Sakura laughed lightly before continuing.

"Once in a while, when I was done with my training with Neji, she and I would hang out and talk. She mentioned how, though you were fun to work with, and kind of cute, you always seemed too young or innocent for her. Like there was no real gravity about you; rather, gravity seemed to lessen around you, and feel surreal, like everything was too good to be true." Sakura turned to Naruto, and in a few chakra enhanced strokes, caused the genjutsu to fall away from around him. It was a simple enough design, there to only hide things at a cosmetic level. As Sakura looked at Naruto's new visage, she had to admit that her pulse quickened a bit at the intimidating visage.

"She also stated how she liked it when Neji or Lee would get a really scary face during a sparring match, or even during missions. She likes the stoic types, but she also admitted to me that personally she likes the wild men more. I think you'll be just fine, Naruto, if not exactly what she's always been dreaming of." Naruto turned to Sakura with disbelief written across every feature, before he let out a low and loose chuckle.

"Well, that's one good thing out of this fubar…You know, Tenten asked me to find something out, in return for those explosive arrows of hers…" Sakura turned to Naruto with a questioning look on her face, but nodded for him to continue. Naruto grinned at her, and then winced slightly at how the action seemed to make Sakura flinch slightly. 'Smiling fangs, not cute, got it.' Mustering up his courage, Naruto coughed once to clear his throat.

"Tenten wanted me to find out if you have feelings for Neji…so, do you?" Sakura blushed slightly at the question, but nodded in response, which only got Naruto to grimace slightly. "Why do you have feelings for the stoic bastard! Why do you and Tenten like the stony types like Sasuke and Neji, huh?"

Sakura flinched inwardly at the question, but found herself unable to respond for a moment. She knew the answer, but was not sure if she was ready to trust Naruto with it yet. 'I know Kakashi-sensei said that we need to open up to Naruto right now, in order to help in the healing process, but still…I haven't told anyone else this yet…'

"Hey, look, I get it. It's weird to talk about that with me, since I'm so surreal." Naruto's sentence dripped with venom as he turned away from the girl, and just like that, Sakura knew she had to tell him now.

"My parents are abusive." The words were like a strong enough slap to whip Naruto's head around with how quickly he turned to her. "Not terribly so, but only when I show emotion. They were both ninja in the past, but aren't anymore now. They beat me when I react, and push me to excel, keeping food from me that I have to steal in order to get a decent meal." Naruto seemed confused as he looked at the girl, and his eyes searched everywhere for some form of lie in her statement.

"How do you survive that? And how does that answer my question?" Naruto's voice was lower now, nearly a whisper, and Sakura steeled herself, trying to keep her tears at bay.

"I just do survive it. I have for years now, Naruto. But, I guess, I began to like boys like Neji and Sasuke because they seemed so accomplished, and capable, and yet didn't show anything to the world around them. They could do everything I couldn't, and I felt worthless next to them." Sakura laughed lightly to herself as she kept her gaze focused on her lap.

"I sometimes imagined they would come and rescue me from it, but they never showed up. Recently, thanks to you and Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke, I've started being able to stand up to them and dodge the abuses better. I'm thinking about moving out when I get back actually, to get away from it once and for all." Sakura continued to stare at her hands, but was surprised when she felt a hand reach out and clasp her shoulders. It caused her gaze to come up, and she was soon eye to eye with Naruto.

"I'm probably going to need a place of my own when I get back. I'm not bringing the danger I pose into my family, Sakura." Sakura nodded to Naruto, and smiled gently at him, leaning in to embrace her teammate. Tears built at both of their eyes as the two of them sat, bathed in the light of the world outside.

xXxXxXx

Sasuke felt his breath come in short ragged bursts. 'Kakashi's pushing me, and training me! This is what I've wanted the entirety of this whole last damned week. Not to be sitting around playing bodyguard for a bridge builder with no enemies.' Sasuke dodged the next attack, bursting into a Body Flicker to keep his speed up and at the right level. Kakashi had spared a clone to train with Sasuke, and was currently watching the entirety of the bridge on his own.

"Well, looks like someone has been getting better…I actually have to play for keeps with you now, at least some of the time." Kakashi's clone lazily watched Sasuke, his eye covered and his body seemingly lax in every muscle group.

"Won't be much longer until I can surpass you, Kakashi." Sasuke's voice was edgy, and the boy literally shook with excitement as he faced down his opponent.

"Don't let that ego of yours get too inflated now…wouldn't want my kunai to slip while we're sparring, now would we?" Kakashi taunted, before slipping inside of Sasuke's guard. The man moved like a demon, his miniscule uses of the body flicker to accelerate his combat maneuvers fluid, graceful, and unrestrained. Sasuke struggled to match the speed, and keep his Sharingan active to record everything that he was seeing.

'I can't quite mimic what he's doing yet, but I can keep pace. And I can follow the intent behind his maneuvers as well…' Sasuke broke back and jumped away from Kakashi, staring harshly into the cyclop's revealed eye.

"Why did you agree to train me today? Is Naruto really getting over his problems that much?" Sasuke questioned Kakashi, his gaze never leaving the man's face. The description of what had happened at the bridge had always seemed off to the boy, like there was some hidden travesty that Kakashi kept hidden. He and Sakura had been informed of the fox, and had taken it in stride when Kakashi explained the way the nine demons were used as balances of power within the ninja community.

"Naruto is improving steadily, that is true. But you reminded me of something almost as important as getting Naruto to a state where he can handle such responsibility. And that is preparing my replacement." Sasuke blinked back actual shock at the statement, and Kakashi wished he had something to record the face with.

"What do you mean? Why would training me in Sharingan usage matter for preparing your replacement?" Kakashi sighed, and turned a small smile towards Sasuke.

"You see, one of the infamous powers of the Sharingan is the ability for it to suppress a demonic possession, through the legendary genjutsu powers of the Uchiha." Kakashi sighed, before raising his headband to open his Sharingan eye. "The only problem is, it takes a fully mature and mastered Sharingan to do so. Right now, I'm the only one in the entire village that can safely suppress Naruto were he to begin to undergo a complete possession." Sasuke blinked in surprise at the revelation. Put that way, it was obvious why Kakashi had to lead their specific team; it was less for hunter-nin purposes, and more for damage control and asset management.

"So, did you have a choice in leading this team?" Sasuke's voice was full of contempt as he looked at his teacher.

"No, not in actuality, though I am continually glad I did so. The three of you, at least before this incident, operated together perfectly, and managed to surpass all of my prior expectations." Kakashi lowered his headband and motioned for Sasuke to continue the fight. Sasuke held his ground for a moment, and Kakashi felt a frown begin to filter over his face.

"If I am to be your replacement for guarding Naruto, does that mean I'll have to work with him for the entirety of my career in Konoha?" Kakashi sighed heavily before relaxing from his fighting stance.

"Well that is a possible outcome, I do not see it as highly plausible. The past containers for the fox have managed to gain mastery over time, so that no intervention is actually necessary. However, if there is an outbreak, you will likely be called upon to intervene." Sasuke nodded at that, apparently satisfied at the answer. In an instant, he had bridged the gap with his teacher, and begun to bear down on him with both kunai and his tanto.

Kakashi smirked as the two of them disappeared into the blaze of battle.

xXxXxXx

Fire roared around Haku as she made her way through the rebel camp. It seemed that Haku had arrived at the ideal moment; there was a momentary rout in progress on one of the front lines, and Haku had a chance to intervene and turn the tide in the rebel's favor. At the moment, Haku found the current flames to be coming from a single individual, a woman with brown hair that reached the middle of her back and seemed to radiate a fearsome aura.

'Still, nothing like that of that boy from the bridge…' Haku noted a single shinobi make his way past the raging destruction and inferno that the woman seemed to be wreaking on the surrounding landscape, and before the thought had fully processed, had sent a senbon flying straight into the rogue ninja as Haku approached the woman. The woman turned harshly and looked over Haku, seizing on the mask, the sword, and the overall appearance in an instant.

"I don't know who you are kid, but I'm glad to have backup with a decent throwing arm. Keep my back guarded while I work out here, and I'll talk to you later, alright?" The woman was surprisingly pleasant, and had a smile plastered on her face as she waded once more into battle. Haku was immediately reminded of Zabuza, and couldn't help but smile at the similarity.

In a matter of moments, with appropriate ice jutsu to supplement the brown haired woman's impressive styles, the battle turned quickly in the rebel's favor. Haku soon found herself face to face with the same auburn haired woman, and felt the fear of standing in an overpowering presence once more.

"Like I said before, I don't know you, but you saved my hide out there once or twice in the battle, so who are you? Once you tell me that, my next question is why you have one of my country's swords…" Haku stiffened under the hard gaze a little, and then reached up and slowly removed her mask. As the mask fell away, the eyes of the brown haired woman widened in realization.

"I am Haku, the female guard of Zabuza Momochi, returned to Kirigakure with his sword and wishing to pledge my loyalty to the rebel movement to overthrow the demon Yagura." Haku's voice was raspy; the last several days of travel had left her with little food or rest.

"I am Mei Terumi, leader of the rebel movement, and former friend of the great Zabuza Momochi. Well met, Haku Yuki. I accept the services of one such as yourself, and look forward to working with you in the future." Haku smiled up at the woman, blinking back tears of sadness as she bowed to her new leader.

'Perhaps…perhaps, with my life goal being the defending of Zabuza's dreams and ideals, I will find more precious people that I need to defend…'

xXxXxXx

Sasuke walked through the door into the communal dining room that his team shared and sighed as he looked around the room. 'Naruto seems a bit better than before…guess Sakura did manage to talk some sense into the idiot…' Sasuke felt his muscles hitch as he approached the table, and winced once before managing to sit down carefully.

"Training was hard today, huh?" Naruto's voice was more like his usual tone, and for some reason it made Sasuke grimace in distate.

"Yeah, but I'm assuming you just sat around all day and moped…" Naruto turned and grinned at Sasuke, and it was then that Sasuke noticed that Naruto was going without the genjutsu cover as normal.

"Well, not entirely. After Sakura talked to me earlier, I managed to motivate myself into a bit of training. And the results are worth it!" Naruto pulled out a small stone from his pocket, no bigger than the palm of his hand. Sasuke frowned as he watched in confusion, until a high whining sound came from the stone. The next instant, Sasuke saw that the rock had been cleanly split into two pieces.

'He managed to finish his elemental manipulation already? But how, that's three months early! There's no way I'm losing out to the second best, I'm only three quarters of the way there now!' Sasuke seethed as he looked over the blonde haired idiot. His anger faded though when Kakashi walked into the door and whistled at the sight of the cut stone.

"Not bad Naruto…but stones are easier to cut than leaves you know?" The looks of confusion from his students were almost too much for Kakashi. "Seriously, the leaves are harder. They have more of a stringy nature than a rock does, and you have to have finer control to pull off cutting a small area. Try a leaf real quick, let's see how far you can get in one go." Kakashi pulled a leaf from his pocket and placed it into Naruto's outstretched hand.

The boy frowned at the leaf, before shrugging his shoulders and bending himself to his task. The high whine emitted once more, and when Naruto removed his hand, there was a line running over half-way, but not quite completely through the leaf.

"Heh, not much longer Sasuke. How you coming on yours, huh?" Sasuke frowned at the boy, and scoffed haughtily at him.

"Further than you. I also have two to work on, so don't get cocky second best." Naruto frowned at the continuing moniker, but shrugged it off as Sakura came into the room. Before Sakura could get a greeting in though, the Uchiha turned and gave Naruto a harsh stare with his Sharingan activated.

"That being said, don't fall behind. I'd hate to have to wait for you to catch up so I can test myself against you." Naruto frowned at first, but then smirked at Sasuke, a challenging look lighting up his eyes for the first time in a week.

"You better believe it Uchiha. I'm not going to stay underdog to you forever, so watch out for me." Naruto was not aware of it, but in that moment, despite his terrifying face, the members of team seven all drew encouragement from his statement.

xXxXxXx

Alright, I admit, a weird place to end the chapter, but I felt it was a good spot. I have a set up for the next chapter, did some emotional pieces, had some healing thrown in for good measure, and covered some minor issues here and there. I will admit, that after next chapter, Haku will not be heard of for a while, but he will be causing repercussions and so he needed a large portion. Also, to those wondering, no, Haku is not going to meet with some horrible end (I have one planned, but that is not for MUCH MUCH later in the storyline).

Couple notes: Yes, Kakashi tampered with Naruto's memory. Yes, there will be some stuff to deal with because of that later on, but that is going to come out after the trial and during one of his sessions. Yes, I still did not explain the exact deaths out there, but that will come during the trial or I can just straight up say that Gichi and his wife, Tsunami and Inari were the ones bound and gagged. They couldn't run at the time because they were literally tied up. Also, in a personal nod to Akanaru, while killing characters might make others lose interest, that's usually only if done senselessly or needlessly. This was neither. Good stories have character deaths, because their deaths allow for character growth and development. That's what I need as fuel as a writer, as death is a bonding experience between people in real life and in stories. Besides, if you have a story with a ton of characters, it makes it harder to care about the one or two main characters in the story.

To McDowell, I hope I got some of the guilt across. Don't worry, there is more to come. The next few chapters are where I earn my keep as a drama writer maybe, as they will be focused on that and less action for the next little while. Once Chuunin exams start though, it's off to the races on action and suspense again!

One last note, though there is a Clan reestablishment protocol in my universe, that is not, I REAPEAT IS NOT!, the CRA of many other Naruto fics. I don't play that multiple wives things. just not my style.

Well, that's all for now! Time to check out again for a week or two (exams are kicking in! Whee!) As always, read and review!


	10. Chapter 10: Dogs of War II

Hey Everyone! I have an update for you! Sorry for the delay, the exams were as bad as I thought they would be, but I managed to crank out decent grades, so all is good. Expect an update by the end of next week, but then not another one for a week or so as things will again be busy on this end.

Onto the review notes! So, there were a couple questions about the council, and information in general. First up, I made a goof and accidently swapped the names of Koharu and Homura. Will be correcting that in following chaps, sorry for the goof. As for information in general, on the note of the council gathering information about the event, with more details being given on Wave's evolving role and the happenings with Naruto's heritage, will be explained in this chapter and following ones. Expect the next few chapters to conclude the story alterations before the beginning of the Chuunin exam. They will be focused on drama and plot line development as well as characters dealing with emotional turmoil.

One side note for PenguinX that asked the question that many of you have had; there was a considerable moment of anguish for myself having Haku figure things out. I admit that I may have caved a bit for the plot to flow more easily. Sorry for that bit.

The last note is a bit of an easter egg for coming chapters; I'm giving out my ideas on the Namikaze line heritage in this story. I hope that it goes over well! Here we go then!

I own nothing but the original stuff!

xXxXxXx

Tazuna was a bit taken aback as he entered the ninja's eating quarters, his face lingering on Naruto's visage. 'Kakashi said that the loss of his partner caused him to change…but I didn't think it would be that dramatic…'

Kakashi looked over at Tazuna, and grimaced internally as the man took in Naruto's new look. 'While this bodes well for Naruto's healing process, his timing leaves something to be desired…' Kakashi waved the man over, noticing the parcel in his arms.

"I take it that the response to my original letter has arrived then?" Tazuna nodded to Kakashi, and the jonin seemed to straighten a bit in response.

"That's not the only news; there are developments in Wave that I think you need to hear…" Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto all looked up at Tazuna's statement, and the old man sighed and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"Super sorry for getting you all involved in this, but the investigations into Gichi and his wife as well as Tsunami and Inari have come to some distressing conclusions. We've found out that Gichi's wife, the village's apothecary, had prepared hemlock poison for the group. Hemlock takes a day or so to kill, and would have limited their movements." Naruto looked up from this in confusion, his eyes full of concern.

"So what? There was nothing we could have done anyways? Why did Gato do that?" Naruto's voice was strained, and his face seemed to be drawn into quite a pained expression.

"Our guess is, he was originally going to return them, and then offer up the antidote only if all of his demands were met…when things went sour at the bridge, he probably had them killed to cut his ties…" Sasuke grimaced at Tazuna's explanation, his suspicions growing.

'If Gato already had them poisoned, he would have wanted to bring the hostages along…with hostages, ones that are time sensitive, he could extort a far better bargaining position…something is definitely off, but why?' Sasuke kept his voice silent as he looked around the group, looking for signs of deceit.

"Thank you for informing us of this Tazuna. I'm sure that information will help Naruto get over some of the guilt he might feel about the incident." Naruto blinked in surprise at Kakashi's statement, but nodded toward Tazuna, keeping his gaze down and away from the man's face.

"Don't mention it. The distressing part is that the poison that was used, as well as some of the supplies that Gato's men had did not come from him." The rest of the group looked up in surprise at that, and Tazuna sighed again. "As I said, I'm super sorry for dumping this on you guys, but the Daimyo of Wave was instigated as helping Gato's men. It seems that in return for helping to defeat my 'rebellion' the Daimyo was going to grant Gato a chance to even further expand his powers here in Wave."

Tazuna looked down and pulled two scrolls out from the package of documents he had, handing them both to Kakashi.

"The details of Wave's national congress on this are in there. During the meeting we elected a new Daimyo to lead the country, and apparently everyone decided on me." All of the group reacted in shock to this, and Kakashi quickly had the scroll opened and spread out on the table.

"In addition to that, they want to establish a military basis in Wave, similar to that seen in other ninja villages. They've decided on having a defensive basis only, but want some shinobi in house. Part of the details there are a proposal for Konoha to help with the development of such a force here in Wave." Kakashi shook his head as he looked over the details, trying to fend off his coming headache.

"So, basically, you've made my team into ambassadors of Konoha after a fashion…" Kakashi's statement drew raised eyebrows from his students, and the jonin fought back the urge to sigh heavily.

"As I said, I'm really super sorry about all this. The other scroll is from your village, a response I think to your earlier message." Kakashi nodded at the bridge builder, rolling up the general proposal as he did.

"I'll look it over later. Now, if there's no other questions, would you like to join us for a quick meal?"

"Thanks for the offer, but I can't. There's another meeting in an hour; don't worry, it will be just across the hall, but I really can't stay for food." The group nodded in acceptance, and Tazuna gave another apologetic shrug. "Real quick though, will Naruto always look like that from now on?"

"Yeah, this is how I look now. I don't know if it will ever go away, but I'm not going to change how I look for others." Naruto's voice was even and strong, bringing a slight smile to the faces of the group.

"It's not a bad look, you know?" Tazuna's voice was interested and upbeat; Naruto could not find any trace of deceit and a small smile crept onto the boy's face. "It's more serious than you were before, and makes you seem like a real ninja, like a new legend or something…" Sasuke grimaced at that slightly, and Sakura giggled a bit at the statement.

"You think?" Naruto chuckled at the bridge builder, his face seeming to light up. "Maybe the three of us will be the next three famous Konoha ninja, you know?" Kakashi and Tazuna chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm, and even Sasuke and Sakura sported small grins at the exclamation.

'The next three famous ninja huh…I could see that…' Kakashi thought idly to himself.

xXxXxXx

Jiraiya took encouragement from the sight of his village as he walked through the streets of Konoha. Many people stopped and asked him to stay for a while, or offered him food for this or that. The feeling of being home was great for the legendary ninja, and his travel weary frame bore testament to the pace that he had traveled back to his home. As he stood in the morning light, the rays reflecting off of his forehead protector, the man felt a grimace overtake his face as he stared at the Hokage monument.

The white hair trailing on both sides of Jiraiya's face fluttered in the breeze lightly and flitted through his ponytail. The sage however was unaware of any of this; his clothes were covered in light dust and dirt from his travels, the red color of his cloak faded and his green kimono worn in obvious places. The geta on his feet were cracked in places. Altogether, the man looked as if he had left a war zone.

None of this registered for Jiraiya as he stared at the face of his former student, carved in a stern effigy. 'You wouldn't have wanted to have done this Minato…you would not have given this to your son if you could have helped it. Still, why did you keep me from raising the child? Was your trust in me that little, even after all we went through?' Jiraiya kept staring at Minato, before shrugging to himself and moving toward the faces.

"Not like asking you could get me any answers…I always told you that stone faces never say things, and if they do they aren't things I want to hear…" Jiraiya flinched as the old phrase fell off of his lips, reminding him of the war with Iwa from so many years ago; war that seemed poised to break out once more. 'What sensei is thinking with bringing this heritage stuff up now is beyond me…it will only make things get more out of hand, I know it…'

The past month had seen Jiraiya traveling through Iwa, as well as the outskirts of Ame and Suna, and the trends the man was finding did not bode well for the village. Ame had closed itself completely off, and the few plants that Jiraiya had within the village had apparently been hunted out and killed rather quickly. Suna had a growing problem with missions going to Konoha, and the funding for the place was apparently going downhill. Finally, Iwa seemed to be having trouble with terrorists, and recent bombings had showcased a weakening of Oonoki's control on the situation. All in all, Jiraiya felt that there were a number of factions with a growing reason to want to harm the village. Adding another target and potential high ransom would only worsen matters.

Rather than worry overly about this, Jiraiya found himself treading his way to the Hokage's office, wanting to pause and stop here and there, but with guilt forcing him onward as he did. He idly noticed a simple weapon shop as he was passing by, and recognized the name from his travels. He blinked in surprise, wondering what the Aoyama family was doing in Konoha.

'Might as well stop in, who knows if any of the old family is still there…' The Aoyama were a family of blacksmiths, originally from the southern part of the Land of Fire if memory served, and had been very kind to both Jiraiya and his teammates when he was growing up.

As the white haired man stooped through the doorway, the sage smiled at the familiar scent of a blacksmith.

"Hi, my name's Tenten! Welcome to the Aoyama weapon's shop, what can I do for you today?" Jiraiya noticed a pretty young girl working behind the counter, her hair done up in buns and wearing a pink sleeveless top. Jiraiya noticed that she was probably in her early teens, and quickly phased her out of his 'hottie radar'.

"Hey there! I'm an old friend of your dad's I think, I just wanted to know if he was in and if I could get these repaired?" Jiraiya held up his cracked geta, pointing in particular to the damage to the metal bottoms.

"Oh yeah, I could fix that up no problem. But my dad's out right now, sorry. I can tell him you dropped by if you give me your name…" Jiraiya blinked at the girl, but sighed and scribbled it down on a piece of paper.

"Yeah, here, just give him this when you get the chance. How long do you think it will be on those sandals?" Jiraiya fumed silently to himself as he stood behind the counter. 'Geez, Tsunade gets flocks of fans when she goes anywhere, and Orochimaru has people run away in fear…why am I the only legendary ninja that gets no respect…'

"It should take a couple of hours. If you want, I have a pair here for a cheap price that you can have while you wait?" Jiraiya nodded, and accepted the pair of proferred sandals. After he had paid, he quickly left the shop and continued muttering to himself.

"No respect, not a bit…"

xXxXxXx

Haku felt her skin bristle as she looked over the battle formations. 'This front line action isn't really my strong suit…Zabuza always had trained me to work from the sidelines and shadows, where my lack of stamina wouldn't be that much of an issue…' Haku tried to still her nerves, reminding herself that she was only going to be fighting against the basic samurai of the Mist forces.

'Yagura has alienated so many of the ninja families that he is relying on basic forces…this war won't last much longer, but it still is unfortunate that the country must suffer this way…how different would it have been if Zabuza and I had returned together?' Haku noticed enemy movement from behind the trenches.

As the girl turned to signal her comrades, Haku again felt the awkward discomfiture of working with fellow hunter ninja. The mask Haku had was something that she had taken from one that had threatened Zabuza when he was tired after a mission.

"_**You earned that mask the right way then. Defending what is important to you…" **_

Mei's voice filtered into Haku's head, and the girl had to shake her head at the way that the lady seemed to inspire confidence and liveliness into the simplest affairs. 'Despite actions that killed a fellow Mist ninja, she accepted me so readily, and then stuck me out on the front lines…I can't tell if she trusts me or not, but she is at least giving me the chance to prove myself…' As Haku picked up her senbon, and turned back to the slowly advancing line of samurai, the girl grit her teeth at the coming bloodshed.

'Prove myself…or die trying…that's what it takes to get respect…'

xXxXxXx

"Man, I must seriously not get any respect around here…how do people forget that I'm the villages seal master, huh?" Jiraiya reclined in his seat, his face mired in a frown.

"It might have something to do with your works as a spy taking you away from the village for long periods of time..." Hiruzen chuckled lightly from behind his seat, various papers scattered across the desk in front of him.

"Still, that's no reason to go forgetting about someone…" Jiraiya's face was almost comical with the pout on his face. The Third Hokage merely chuckled good naturedly, and took a draw from his pipe, the weathered face framed by both the robes and hat of his office.

"I received a report that Naruto and his group will be taking an additional week to return to the village. Things have certainly gotten a bit out of hand for the group…" The elder ninja shuffled some documents on his desk before handing one over to Jiraiya. "These are the details on the Inuzuka seal…it was looked over by Genma and his group, and they agreed that the seal would not pose too much of a threat, though recommended that you remove it later on in Naruto's career." Jiraiya nodded at that and scanned over the document that was handed to him.

"Yeah, I can see where Genma was coming from…still, the kid really stepped in it, and the seal was pushed farther than it was intended from what I can tell." Jiraiya sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, trying to work some of the stress from his face. As he did, a knock was heard at the door, and the two old warriors stiffened in their seats.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I heard that you have received word from Kakashi's team." A bandaged form stepped into the office of the Hokage, and both Hiruzen and Jiraiya had stern looks filter across their faces.

"Danzo. You are well informed on the comings and goings of the Hokage." Danzo merely nodded towards Hiruzen's veiled accusation.

"Of course. I am waiting for information about what has occurred with the members of Kakashi's team, specifically the charge that is under my supervision." Hiruzen seemed to stiffen at the comment as the bandaged man walked into the room. His cane thumped as he walked, and each step seemed to cause Jiraiya's face to stiffen further.

"Young Haruno-san is doing perfectly well from all accounts Danzo. Kakashi states that the girl was successfully able to start her earth manipulation training, though she has put that off to develop her genjutsu techniques in the meantime." Danzo seemed to grimace at the news, but still made his way to stand next to Jiraiya.

The larger man dwarfed the elderly council member, but Danzo did not seem unnerved by Jiraiya's presence at all.

"Be that as it may, as we have seen with past cases as soon as both elements are awakened, there are often dire consequences if the subject does not receive appropriate emotional training." Danzo's voice was even, and his one good eye bored lazily into the Hokage's.

"And just what kind of methods do you use with your 'training', Danzo?" Jiraiya's tone was cutting, and full of the distate he held for the man.

"The same methods that have seen, in the cases that I have been asked to care for, either a controlled remission of the subjects abilities, or in one case a controlled mastery. A record that, were it compared to my compatriots, is far better at not producing violent incidents that need to be quieted discreetly." Danzo's face remained focused on the Hokage's, not once flickering towards the Toad Sage.

"He has a point Jiraiya." The man looked as if he had been slapped by the statement, and turned to regard his leader with a look of disbelief. "His methods are valid, though distasteful. I will start the paperwork to have Haruno-san enter into your groups training upon her return to the village. Remember, she will still have to be present at the Grand Council hearing, and she must enter your training willingly." Hiruzen looked pained from his statements, and coughed heavily into his hand several times before nodding dismissively to Danzo.

Danzo returned the nod with a formal bow and appellation, leaving the office with the thump of his cane echoing off the walls. Jiraiya looked distastefully after the man, but was brought back to the office by the repeated coughing from his teacher.

"I am aging Jiraiya. I am aging and soon will be too old to hold this position." Jiraiya's eyes flared with denial as he saw his mentor pause before raising himself slowly from his seat.

"Stop that! The Tsuchikage is older than you are yet, and he is still going strong! You're not going to let a rock head like him continue on after you, are you?" Jiraiya's voice was chiding, managing to barely hide the concern in his tone.

"Be that as it may, I am getting old. I will not be as good as you or Tsunade in the near future. The day may come soon where one of you must step up and take my position." The third put out his tobacco pipe, and turned to look out over the village. "The reason I age so is that my past haunts me; my mistakes with Orochimaru, with my son, and with Minato and his legacy. More than that, I have to turn to men like Danzo, whose methods I do not wholly agree with, to see to the protection of my village. It is that that drives me quicker to the next life than the Tsuchikage…" Jiraiya felt the words die in his throats at his teacher's statement, opting instead to remain silent.

"You should go see if those geta of yours are repaired yet…I figure it has been several hours since you had them dropped off…" Jiraiya voiced an agreement to the suggestion, and gave a polite nod, turning to leave from the window. "Somehow, I hope that tradition never changes." Hiruzen chuckled lightly as Jiraiya left, jumping into the village below.

xXxXxXx

Tenten nearly jumped out of her skin when Guy came bursting in to the weapon shop, her hands dropping the freshly refinished Geta.

"Ah, Tenten! There you are! I have a personal request for our group, so we have to leave immediately!" Tenten blinked in surprise, then felt her face flush in anger.

"Now wait a second! I thought we were staying in the village for a week of training! What about waiting until Kakashi came back to challenge him huh? Besides, I have an urgent special order to deliver!" Guy merely shook his head, and held up the 'gone ninja-ing' sign in his hand.

"Trust me, this will work for any customers you may have while your dad is out. Plus, Kakashi and his team have been delayed in Wave, according to the rumors around the village. Write a quick note to your customer, and we will be on our way!" Guy's booming voice made the girl's head ring, and she shook her head as she proceeded to place the sandals in the house.

'There really is no stopping him when he's this fired up…' Tenten was yanked out of her thoughts by Guy moving around in her kitchen, throwing together food supplies. The girl yelped, jumped into the kitchen and kicked the man out, grabbing her own supplies as she did so.

"Slow down, Guy-sensei!" Tenten placed the sign up, and grabbed one of her prepped travel packs, slipping out of the house as quickly as she could.

"That's the spirit Tenten! Now come on, let's go!" Guy bursted away from the house as fast as he could, making Tenten sprint after to catch up.

"So, who was the special customer you had waiting for you?" Tenten shrugged and continued to sprint after her teacher.

"Just some old guy, probably not that important…" Guy shrugged as well, and the two blurred into the village.

xXxXxXx

Jiraiya stared blankly at the sign on the store shop, trying to determine if it was a joke or not. 'Gone ninja-ing…This place gets crazier and crazier the longer I stay away from this place…I'm just going to go ogle women for a week though if this is the treatment I get…seriously, no respect...'

Jiraiya stared through sad eyes towards the Hokage monument, looking at the testament to the leaders of his village. 'Like I'd actually want my ugly mug up on that wall…' Jiraiya chuckled to himself and pulled out his telescope, his feet weaving a familiar path. 'There are some other testaments of the village I'd rather be looking at though…'

xXxXxXx

"This bridge is a testament of our people, of the new nation of Wave. We have, with the aid of others, driven out Gatou once and for all, and have seized control of our own shipping and transport industry."

Tazuna's voice was calm as it pitched over a small assembled crowd at the bridge opening. Kakashi, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura stood next to the man on a small constructed podium, each of the ninja standing at parade rest and decked in formal black morning attire. The most shocking thing to the assembled crowd though was not the intimidating form of the shinobi though, but the face of Naruto, eyes half lidded and features monstrous to behold. The boy's eyes were ringed with harsh black, and his facial markings had turned into jagged lines of black. The blue of his eyes was pierced by a single harsh slit, and his hair was a striking blonde. The fangs that protruded from his lips stopped at the middle of his chin, and his face was steeped into a look of both apathy and self-hatred.

Tazuna did not seem to register the presence of the boy, or his comrades though, as the bridge builder turned and addressed the crowd. The past two weeks had served harsh changes on Tazuna, as the group of Wave citizens looked at the bridge builder with eyes of admiration and fealty.

"By seizing control of our means of welfare and stability, Wave has moved forward from a state of dependency to a state of autonomy. No longer will the land of Wave be ruled by those who seize power illegitimately." Cheers and cries of approval rang from the crowd, and Kakashi felt his eyes widened slightly at the tone in the man's voice.

"Gatou came to our country, promising wealth through the connections of his company. He failed us. Our daimyo promised to protect us from Gatou and his men, then turned on us when baseless rumors threatened his rule. The future of this country must be one that does not draw us to these types of people. It is for this reason that the daimyo has been removed from office, and why we have extended an offer of friendship and hopeful partnership with Konoha. Through their financial aid and expertise, the land of Wave will no longer be a land without its own power." Cheers again came from the crowd, along with cries of the bridge builder's name. Only now, the title was not Tazuna the bridge builder, but Tazuna of the Tsunami.

"Today marks the death of the land of Wave, and the birth of the shinobi and merchant village, Tsunami. Today marks the end of exploitation, and the start of commanding our own fate. There will no longer be a master to this country, save that one which the people have chosen. That is the will of the sea, and the will of the people of Tsunami." Kakashi schooled his features to keep worry from his face as he watched the roaring approval from the crowd.

'Tazuna has taken well to the position of village leader, and has even managed to push it to a national level…still, the development of such a nation is something that Konoha will have to watch closely…if they go down the wrong path, they could end up similar to Rain, and that is a disaster that no one will want to see…' Kakashi stifled his worry, and pitched his eyes to his students. All three of them were standing stoically before the crowd, with only Naruto giving off the slightest cues of emotional undertones.

'He's improved remarkably well for only two weeks…I'd like to say I had something to do with that, but I think it is more of the boy's innate personality…still, when we get back to Konoha things may change for the worse again…' Kakashi felt his hands ghost over the communiqué he had tucked in his sleeve. The council had been in contact via messenger summons since the day that Kakashi had informed them of the fox incident. The summons system through the Inuzuka was one of the other reasons that Kakashi was tasked with caring for Naruto, as it allowed him speedy access to the council's opinions.

"From the beginning of our trials with Gatou, our nation has suffered great economic turmoil. Now, at the dawn of our new country, we are beset with high debts, and poor relations with other countries. However, through hard work, the same that built the Great Tsunami Bridge, our country can rise to the highest crests imaginable. Long live Tsunami!" A resounding cry went up in response, and Kakashi felt a chill run down his spine as he looked upon the face of Tazuna. The man's countenance was set in rage and pride, and his eyes blazed with pride.

Kakashi quickly schooled his features as Tazuna turned to the group and bowed formally to them. The man's gaze was focused on Kakashi, never wavering once from the cyclop's eye.

"That was a resounding speech, Tazuna. My team and I are happy to have been here for the naming of your bridge, and will carry your request for economic and military aid in the establishment of your new country." Kakashi bowed in return to Tazuna, his voice neutral and cool.

"Thank you, Kakashi. I will be looking forward to hearing from your representatives." Tazuna returned the bow slightly, and nodded to the genin politely before turning and sweeping from the stage. Naruto seemed to grimace at the man's passing, and looked up in surprise at the hand that fell on his shoulder. Kakashi smiled down lightly at the boy, and the four Konoha ninja left the stage in silence.

Murmurs went up through the crowd at their passing, and Kakashi felt sweat trickle down the back of his neck as he heard the whispers of the villagers. Kakashi tightened his hand on Naruto, letting loose a small amount of chakra for a simple calming genjutsu. Naruto's form seemed to tense up a bit, but began to loosen after a few moments, despite the coming onslaught of slander.

'There goes the demon child!' 'Don't look, if you do he'll eat your soul!' 'Stop that, the boy's been through enough already' 'He's not human, I tell you! Look at his eyes.'

Sasuke and Sakura both grimaced at the statements, but kept their faces neutral as they waded through the crowd. Before long, the trio were outside of the village, and were met by Temu and his iconic boat. Temu stiffened at seeing Naruto at first, but then grimaced slightly and nodded to the boy and his teammates.

"So, the village rumors were true; you really became more like your partner when he passed on…" Temu's comment was innocent enough, but Naruto still stiffened and turned to give the man a wild glare.

"Sorry! I just…it's hard to believe such things happen, you know? Anyways, I'll be the one to ferry you back to the mainland. Though the bridge is completed, Tazuna wants to keep it's usage low until the village can build up adequate guards to man it at several points." Naruto and the group nodded at the ferryman, and before long the group was on its way, headed into the mist.

xXxXxXx

Tenten crouched low to the ground, brushing errant strands of hair behind her head. As she did so, the girl trained her eyes to see through the incoming mist surrounding her. Team Guy had been sent on a mission to the border of Tea Country, as part of an investigation and possible strike force. Local merchants had heard rumors that shady elements from a large multinational corporation were moving into the area. The merchants had come to the leaf village, asking for help in investigation and possible elimination of business threats. Apparently, Guy's friend on the council was a cousin of some sort that had family business in the area; the man seemed as crazy as Guy originally, but after a while, things had begun to pan out.

At first, the claims had seemed to have merit, as when they arrived a week prior there was a large amount of activity and movement surrounding several foreign ships. However, over time the groups had seemed to be dispersing and breaking apart, rather than advancing or joining together. Whatever effort there was for a multinational corporation, it was being whittled away, and quickly, by some outside force. On top of that, the few groups that had been investigated at the start of the week had quickly begun to disappear and vanish.

Tenten sighed as she replayed all of the events through her head. 'Guy-sensei saw all of that, but he still insisted that we stay to investigate this last group…all of the others have been pulling out, but this one seems to have stayed in place…' As the thought flitted about her skull, the girl shifted slightly and then blinked in surprise as a shape materialized out of the mist.

"What a dreary place to have to do business…still, we have to meet with the guy sooner or later. If we don't, there's no telling what the old snake skin will do to us if we bail on him…" A tall man, dressed in solid black with mesh armor covering his arms and legs came into the clearing. He had a giant broadsword strapped to his back, and stood at least a head and shoulders taller than Lee. The extra height was also covered in rippling muscle, and his hair was a rippling wave of red and orange. His hands were what drew Tenten's gaze though. On the back of them were some kind of tattoo or marking, both of them painted in violent styles, similar to the local gangs and thugs.

"You really shouldn't be so brazen in calling him that, you know? He is our boss and everything…" A man dressed in all black, and with a simple metal headband with a musical note stepped into Tenten's view.

"Like I care Tomo. That bastard can stew in hell in my opinion. But until he goes there, I have to follow orders with you at my back." Tomo chuckled again at the man, and Tenten felt her eyes widen at the guant and aging appearance of a thin man in simple garb. The man looked to be as old as the Hokage, but had an air of youth and energy about him. It was unsettling, and put the girl quickly on guard.

"Now now, no need to get angry at me Masaru. Our master points the blade at me, and I in turn at you. Everyone has a knife to their back at all times, you know?" Masaru seemed to bristle at the comment and turned angrily toward his comrade.

"When I get the chance to kill you, I'm going to enjoy it, you know that, right? Enjoy it and then have a nice long laugh afterward…" Tomo simply nodded at the man, keeping his distance from the angry swordsman.

"I'm sure you will…now come, we're late as it is. We have managed to disband those groups that we had working with Gato and his men after his untimely demise in Wave. Once we meet with our informant, and have the messages sent around, we should be able to leave this country immediately." Tenten tensed as the duo moved towards her position. She saw Masaru's gaze flick over her position, and had to fight back the gasp in her throat.

'His eyes…they are solid black...they remind me of Neji's but…so much harsher…' Tenten kept herself as still as possible, watching the eye's bore into her position.

"What is it? Do you see something?" Tomo's voice was back, and Tenten had to scream against her muscles to stop shaking as the odd man turned to look in her direction intently. Masaru took a step forward, then turned suddenly and shook his head.

"No, it's nothing. Just some birds in the trees is all." Tomo seemed to accept this, and the two disappeared from the clearing in a moment, moving quickly as only ninja could. Still, before they left, Tenten could have sworn that the sword wielding man had winked at her...

Waiting several more seconds to make sure that they had truly left, the girl fidgeted as her mind played over the encounter. Once she was sure that she was alone, Tenten pressed the com link at her throat.

"Tenten, reporting in. I made contact at my location, but avoided interaction. Will be reporting in shortly to debrief." Tenten let her hand fall away from her mic, and quickly jumped into motion, heading for the team rendezvous. When she arrived, she found Lee, Neji, and Gai all waiting for her in place.

"So, what do you have to report?" Gai was serious for once, and the expression added to the gravity of the mission and the group. The man's normally jovial face was passive, and set in a stern stance.

"I encountered two ninja, who stated that they were disbanding a group in the area. They made references to their boss, and sported a headband with a sound symbol on it. They mentioned that after they meet their contact point they will be heading out tonight. No mention was given to their leader's identity or to their final destination." Gai nodded to the girl, and she paused before turning to give the man a fearful look.

"Gai-sensei, you told us after Naruto and his team had been gone for a while that they were headed to Wave country. Did you hear anything about what happened to them there yet?" Gai smiled sadly at the girl and shook his head in denial.

"Why do you ask Tenten? Was there anything else from the interaction?" Tenten nodded to Gai, and cleared her throat once before continuing.

"The multinational that the group was working for was apparently headed up by some man named Gatou, based in Wave. After his death, the group of ninja apparently cut ties with the incoming merchants, as their source of income was extinguished." Gai tensed slightly at the names, but motioned for the girl to continue.

"The reason I asked about Naruto was that this Gatou man was killed in Wave apparently…and if that was where Naruto was headed, and this was an important man, well…I just, I'm worried." Gai smiled again at the girl, and for the first time that day his smile seemed more like his usual one.

"Don't worry Tenten! With my hip and eternal rival guiding them, I'm sure that they will be fine, no matter what trouble young Naruto might try to drag himself into!" Guy's voice was booming and positive as always, and Tenten found a small smile creep to her lips as the boisterous ninja put on a display.

"That's right, Naruto and Sasuke are not the type to simply get knocked aside by minor troubles, I'm also sure they will be okay!" Lee gave a positive thumbs up, mimicking his sensei's stance with raised thumb and smiling wink. Neji for his part gave a slight smirk, portraying the same positive view, and Tenten felt her spirits lift slightly at the statements.

"Thanks guys…I guess, I'm just worried about my practice partner, you know?" The girl awkwardly rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, and the group chuckled together for a few short moments.

"I too miss my sparring partner, Tenten, and as such we will be returning to Leaf immediately. Everyone is packed and ready to go?" An enthusiastic response from Lee, and nods from Tenten and Neji answered Gai's questions readily.

"Alright then! Last one home has an extra thousand pushups! Let's get to it, you three!" Guy burst into motion quickly, and his group of students raced behind him quickly. "The sooner we get home, the sooner we can all see Naruto's team again!"

xXxXxXx

"Welcome home…your group is back earlier than expected Haku." Haku turned to see the face of Mei Terumi glancing down at her, a smile placed perfectly on the woman's face.

'Home…that is something I had not thought of having in a long time…' Haku nodded to the woman, who seemed to smile a little more at the action.

"Regardless, I have good news for you. The few men I could spare to check into your story confirm that Konoha does indeed have a Jinchuuriki; the markings on the boy's face were too eerily similar to the ones like Yagura's, and he gave off a chakra presence that was astounding…Still, your claim on his lineage remains to be proven. Until then, we have nothing substantial to press Leaf with…" Mei seemed to reach behind her back, and brought forth a simple metal headband, with an engraving for Mist carved into the symbol panel.

Haku felt her eyes go wide at the item, and Mei merely smiled simply at the younger girl. 'She reminds me so much of myself…perhaps with a few years of work, I will have a fine replacement and an eventual successor…'

"This is for me? I have hardly been fighting for over a week for you though, how have I come to deserve this already?" Mei simply smiled at the girl, and offered the headband again. Haku hesitantly reached out and clasped the headband. Dropping her mask, she quickly donned the item and smiled at Mei before bowing low to her.

"You have done well Haku. You are a famous bloodline of our village, returned to us after many years of exile, and you have brought with you a symbol of loyalty in the sword of Zabuza Momochi. You have fought hard for us, and risked life and limb several times over to join our cause already. I am proud to have you among my ranks, and look forward to working with you closely over the years to come." Haku bowed to the women, tears forming at the corners of her eyes as she clutched the mask at her side.

'Zabuza…I will work hard to make sure that I can make your dream come true…I will help lead our country out of its dark times, and bring peace to the Mist village…'

xXxXxXx

Naruto yawned tiredly to himself as he walked along the dusty trail, the path to Konoha seemingly more worn since the trip to Wave. As he did, Naruto noticed the village in the distance, the great walls already coming into view. The gates were wide open, and a calm day seemed to be occurring inside. As he trudged along, Naruto felt the knot tighten in his stomach.

"Naruto, are you sure you want to head into the village without your genjutsu on?" Sakura asked, the concerning filtering in through her voice. The boy turned to her and sighed, melancholy still seeming to wash off the boy.

"What's the point? The villagers are going to find out anyways, and then I'll be right back to square one…might as well scare away the less intelligent ones first." Sasuke scoffed at Naruto's reply, drawing attention to himself for the first time in days.

"Just because they are not intelligent doesn't mean that you should just blow them off, idiot. The villagers that do care will make your life a living hell if you look normal, but if you look terrifying they are bound to just hate you more, even if they won't do anything because of their fear." Naruto smirked at Sasuke, and chuckled when the Uchiha grimaced slightly at the boy's visage.

"You know, that's the most you've said to me in almost a week you bastard. Why is it that whenever you talk a lot it's always to put me down, huh?" Sasuke scoffed at Naruto, and Naruto growled lightly before shrugging.

"Fine. Doesn't matter to me anyways, it's not like I want a bunch of posers on my side anyway." Kakashi rapped Naruto lightly on the head at that, and the boy turned a rueful glare on his teacher. Kakashi responded by placing a firm hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Quiet down Naruto. You know that I can't force you to hide the fox's effects, but you will have to keep quiet on what caused it." Naruto rolled his eyes, and struggled to get away from Kakashi.

"I hear you Kakashi-sensei, and I'll keep quiet. Still doesn't mean I have to like it though…" Naruto pulled himself away from Kakashi's grasp. 'If I had just been stronger though, none of this would have happened…maybe if I work hard, not everyone will turn away from me…I just don't want to hide what I look like…I want others to know what I do for them…' Naruto shook off his brooding thoughts, and turned to give Sasuke a challenging smirk.

"…bet I can beat you there, you Uchiha bastard!" Naruto's verbal barb went straight through Sasuke's armor, making the raven haired boy growl before lighting off after the Inuzuka.

"Are they really going to be alright, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura's question drew a weary sigh from Kakashi, who merely lightly ruffled the girl's hair.

"I hope so, Sakura. I hope so." Kakashi stared after the two boys, and began to pick up the pace to catch up with them. 'Ever since the mission, Sasuke and Naruto have been more antagonistic than ever…it's only when I give them a huge challenge to work on, or a dual technique to master that they really knuckle down and cooperate…teams of genin are such a pain sometimes…'

Kakashi was brought out of his exhaustion by the appearance of a familiar face at the gate of the village. The sight of long purple hair, and the smell of snakes instantly put the man on guard. 'Crap, I'm really not in the mood for this at the moment…'

"Man, Kakashi, you four look like shit! What happened, you get roped into a civil war or something?" Anko ambled up happily to Kakashi, not really paying attention to any of the other members of Team Seven. She paused for a moment when she did not get any response beside slight nods.

"Wait, what? What happened to you four?" Naruto turned and looked at Anko and the woman stepped back harshly, before whistling lowly at the boy. "Damn blockhead, what happened to you out there? That's one hell of a mean transformation you got going…" Naruto smirked at her lightly, and Anko grinned back at the animalistic look.

"You like it, Anko-senpai? I guess you could say I was going for the vicious look…" Anko chuckled heartily at that, and gave the boy a thumbs up.

"Good work kid, you got it in one! But seriously, you guys need to clean up and come to the tower. I was sent as an escort for the lot of you, so something must be important if a Special Jonin was assigned as an escort within the village." Anko's statement made Kakashi's skin crawl, and Sakura and Sasuke both flicked a worried glance towards Naruto.

"My my, that is a surprise. Alright then, why don't you three go freshen up quickly, drop off your gear and snatch a new set of clothes? We'll meet in the tower in half an hour." Kakashi lazily informed his team, jerking a head nod towards Anko. The woman caught the implied message and wordlessly followed after the man. Moments later, the group had split up and Anko found herself with the rare privilege of being in Kakashi Hatake's home while he was changing.

"So, what was with that head nod to my question at the gate? Did you and your team step in it, or something?" Kakashi groaned from his bedroom as he pulled off his uniform and changed out of his travel worn clothes.

"You could say that…our simple C-Rank Escort turned into a literal A-rank to possible S-rank detail mission. We fought against well trained enemy ninja, including one of the seven ninja swordsmen, fought down a horde of civilians that were trained to fight ninja, and a freaking catapult. On top of that, I'm going to have to attend to the diplomacy aspect of helping set up a nation state now that the revolution is over." Anko felt her jaw want to hit the floor as Kakashi recounted his team's trials.

"Shit…that's…ugh. I also take it that something happened to the little blockhead…" Anko felt her eyes snap wide open as she turned a stare on Kakashi. "He didn't have his little fox with him? Did he lose his partner? Kakashi, that can seriously fuck with an Inuzuka, you know?" Kakashi blinked in surprise at Anko, and the woman let out an odd chuckle as he regarded her.

"I didn't know you interacted much with the Inuzuka…how do you know about that?" Anko flinched slightly under the scrutinizing gaze, but shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

"It was when I was in Sea Country…There was an Inuzuka in our group, and it drove her over the edge…" Anko's hand ghosted to the back of her neck, and Kakashi immediately understood, and grimaced slightly for his reaction.

"Sorry for doubting you, this mission has me a little high strung…" Anko nodded in agreement, letting her eyes travel over the man's exposed torso.

"Yeah, your muscles sure do look tight…want any help with that shower?" Anko asked, making a show of licking her lips. Kakashi merely laughed at the woman before shaking his head.

"Sorry, but I don't think I can be late for this meeting…maybe a rain check for some other time?" Anko smirked seductively, but nodded, and slipped onto Kakashi's couch. In an instant, she had flicked on the t.v., and had her feet propped on his coffee table.

"Sure sure, just don't take too long, I might get bored out here and leave without you!" Anko's voice was chipper as ever, and Kakashi chuckled ruefully as he headed back into his apartment. 'Damn, I really was serious with that though…maybe I'll get him to come around eventually…'

Anko flipped through the t.v. channels, trying to not think on the mission, and what the loss of a partner was probably doing to Naruto. 'That kid was really close with his partner, closer than I've seen a lot of Inuzuka…I hope this team's going to be alright, I like the lot of them…' Anko shrugged, trying not to focus on her thoughts as she flipped over the television channels.

xXxXxXx

Sasuke channeled some chakra into the restrictive seals on his doorway, deactivating the seals that he had placed around his compound. As he stepped into the compound, he noticed the delivered messages outside his door. One caught his attention, and Sasuke pulled it out of the pile of bills and the like.

'I've been summoned to a grand council…that's a first…must be because I am technically an adult now that I wear the headband…' Sasuke scoffed to himself slightly, and stepped into the house, tucking the scroll away to read later.

'The last time an Uchiha attended a grand council was right before the massacre…brother, I've been getting stronger, but I'm still a long way off from matching you…' Sasuke placed his bag on the floor, his mind playing over memories of his childhood.

"_Remember Sasuke, the path of the Uchiha is one of enlightenment through combat. Only through combat can a person come to see the truth of the world, and only by eliminating all ties that one has to this world, both debts and things owed, can a person escape the eternal combat." _

"_But brother, what does that have to do with being a council member like dad does?" _

_Itachi smiled down at Sasuke, and shook his head lightly. "You'll understand it more when you learn more of both combat and life in Konoha, both as an Uchiha and a ninja." Sasuke frowned at his older brother, who merely chuckled at him, and ruffled his hair._

Sasuke felt the scroll in his hand begin to heat lightly, and had to take several deep breaths to keep the document from bursting into flames. 'That laughing face of yours, that will be my greatest bond to sever brother…I can't wait until I can…'

xXxXxXx

Sakura traipsed warily into her house, slipping into her room from an upstairs window. Her bag was deposited lightly, and she changed swiftly, keeping an ear to the door at all times. Just as the girl was about to leave, she heard the door open behind her.

"So, back already and not even going to say anything to your parents, huh?" Sakura turned at the sight of her father, standing in the doorway, large and imposing.

"I've been called to a meeting with the Hokage, I have to go." Sakura stated, turning to leave quickly.

"Fine. But we will discuss this when you return home." Sakura fled the windowsill she was on, leaving the image of her father behind her.

'With any luck, that will be the last time I have to return home…' Sakura thought, her mind focusing on the coming meeting.

'There will probably be a debriefing of our mission, as well as things that the Hokage will ask us…though why we are not being given time to rest I don't quite understand.'

xXxXxXx

Naruto did not understand why the dogs all kept their distance and whined at him as he approached the clan compound, but at the moment, he didn't really care. In truth, the boy was on autopilot as he deposited his clothes and supplies, and changed into a fresh outfit.

'This is probably one of the last times I'll be in my room…that's really weird…' Naruto grimaced as he looked at his face in the mirror, and had to take a breath or two to keep his emotions in check. 'Glad I kept to the rooftops on the way back…though I said I'll face everyone with this face, I really, really did not want to just yet…it's already going to be a pain when I tell all of the other genin…oh well.'

Naruto found his gear, and quickly headed out the door, gunning toward the Hokage's office. As he did, the whining from the compound's dogs heightened until it drew into a long, mourning howl.

xXxXxXx

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat with his pipe in his hand, his eyes looking over the village below him. As the elderly Hokage took a draw from his pipe, he tried to block out the sound of perverted giggling coming from behind him. Failing at the task, the old man let out a beleaguered sigh.

"Oh come on, sensei! This stuff is absolute gold! The kid invents a perverted jutsu to teach your grandson when you stiff him with babysitting? He calls himself the foxy devil? This kid is great! If I wasn't going to tutor him already, I'd definitely do it now!" Jiraiya's loud voice boomed across the office as he read through Naruto's file, perched on the corner of the Hokage's desk.

"Just because you helped me with filing for the last week does not mean you get to lounge about you know?" The Hokage's voice was winded, and creaked with his age, showing the lack of actual concern he had.

"Yeah yeah, and next you'll tell me to use the door. Come on, it's not like anyone could really pose a threat to the two of us, you know?" Jiraiya chuckled good naturedly at his teacher, turning serious when the door opened behind them.

As it did, Kakashi, Anko, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura filtered into the room. Turning in his chair, the third Hokage set his pipe to the side and smiled at the group. "Well, it is nice to see that you all made it in time to report. Now, don't worry, Kakashi has been sending me reports on what occurred on your mission, so I will not need a full debriefing from you." The Hokage's words seemed to calm the group as a whole, and the Hokage kept his face neutral for the time being. The three genin did flick their eyes questioningly toward Jiraiya, but the group as a whole seemed to shrug and accept the man's position.

'Naruto's face, hands, and eyes have changed following the event…hopefully that is not permanent, otherwise I fear he may yet become the village pariah…Sasuke does not seem too troubled, though he is slightly tense…Sakura also, though I have no idea of the reason for her…' The Hokage tapped his pipe twice, and then blew it out while gesturing to several seats placed in front of his desk.

"Now then, my first question for the group is toward Haruno-san." Sakura brightened at the Hokage's gesturing toward her, bringing her hands forward and into her lap. "On the battle at the bridge, it is listed here that at one point, you fled the battle with your target after engaging enemy combatants…your commander has stated this was due to your view that Naruto had lost control during the fight, and had begun to pose a danger to both you and your principal." The old man steepled his hands in front of his face as he regarded the young girl. "I want to hear your side of the story…walk me through what happened there…" Sakura coughed once or twice, and the Hokage noticed the tightening of Naruto's hands on his knees.

"There was a mercenary that was armed with an improvised explosive weapon…I was not in a good position to remove it from a threatening position before it could have detonated and…" Sakura's voice began to break, and the girl had to take several calming breaths before swallowing heavily. "…and Naruto's partner, Kurama, sacrificed himself to remove the weapon from a threatening position. In the process of this, it triggered the Inuzuka battle release seal that Sasuke and I were informed of after becoming teammates with Naruto during our training in the Forest of Death." The third paused, taking the girls reactions into account before smiling lightly.

"Was there anything that suggests to you that this was something that would have been out of his control?" Sakura nodded, and composed herself before continuing.

"At the time, there was a number of obvious signs that Naruto's mental state had deteriorated enough that he would not be in control of his actions. On top of that, the chakra output around him had spiked harshly enough that is physically visible…with that in mind, I knew that remaining in my current position would only threaten both me and Tazuna-san." The third nodded in agreement with this, and sighed heavily.

"That was wise of you, and your statements are in line with statements that I have received from Kakashi. You are free to go at this point. In three day time there will be a grand council hearing, regarding some of the events that transpired during the mission. Your attendance will be mandatory." Sakura nodded to her teammates, and bowed to the Hokage before exiting the room.

"Sasuke, your account is needed next. The only thing I need confirm with you is whether or not you had an assured kill on your opponent, a Haku Yuki as we have been able to establish." Sasuke shook his head stonily, and the Hokage's sigh seemed to press the man back into his chair with its force. "Very well. You may go. I recommend you read up on the briefing for the grand council meeting, and arrive early. I look forward to your participation in the coming debates." Sasuke merely nodded simply before exiting the room. Naruto fidgeted in his seat, his gaze flicking between the seats next to him and the Hokage expectantly.

"Jeez kid, don't worry. We're not going to mess you up or anything…" Jiraiya's sudden outburst caused Naruto to turn his attention to the white haired man, and in an instant the practiced calm had faded away.

"And just who the hell are you to be telling me that anyways, huh?" Kakashi restrained a sigh at the outburst, and turned to go and sit next to the blonde. As he did, he wrapped the boy once on the head, trying to get him to quiet down.

"I am the great Jiraiya of the Legendary Three Ninja, also known as the Wild Man of Konoha, and the great Toad Sage!" Jiraiya gestured to himself magnificently, puffing out his chest and spreading his arms wide.

"Never heard of you, so you can't be that great…" Naruto's simple statement caused Jiraiya to sputter and turn wide eyes on the kid.

"Listen here you little brat, I'm just as important as the old man here, so you should give me the same respect that you give him, got it?" Naruto seemed to consider the man for a second, but then shrugged and nodded his head.

"Alright, if you're really that strong and the old man is fine with you, than I guess I'll respect you…Jiraiya, right?" The white haired man nodded, and the blonde shrugged in acceptance.

"Now then, Naruto, what I want to know is exactly how much you remember of your fight at the bridge, after Kurama's death…" Naruto fidgeted nervously in front of the Hokage, and the old man took a moment to relight his pipe and take a long draw on the tobacco. "It's alright if some parts are hazy, I understand how the rush of battle can blur some details." This seemed to calm the boy, and Naruto took a couple deep breaths before facing the Hokage.

"After Kurama's death, there was a moment of red chakra surrounding everything…me and everything else…then one of the mercenaries said something, and it made me lose it…I became angry than I ever have before, and it felt like the air around me pressurized or something…then this weird orb of red floated over to me…" Jiraiya stood up at this and walked over next to Naruto.

"The orb of red, it came from Kurama's direction?" Naruto nodded once to the taller man, who nodded once while sighing. "Stand up kid, and take off your shirt, I need to check the seal." Naruto did as he was told, and removed his shirt. "Channel some chakra for us, will you? I need to see this thing active…" Naruto formed his hands into a simple seal, and there was a heavy feeling in the air. The feeling quickly passed, and a spiral with several triangular lines of seals appeared. Placed on the center horizontal line of the spiral though were six whisker like marks.

Jiraiya peered closer to the marks, and as he drew his finger across them, felt a pulse come from the seal itself. The man looked up, and noticed similar energy leaking from the marks on Naruto's face. 'So that's what happened…the Inuzuka bond seal originally served as an even numbered seal that was less than eight, balancing but reducing the amount of demonic chakra that Naruto had access to…I can understand why even the seal rookies of the village agreed to the Inuzuka seals then, as it would have made his development as a ninja easier for him…' Jiraiya sighed as he looked over the seals again, and probed for any weaknesses or signs of failure. Finding none, the man straightened and shook his head slowly.

'The larger even numbered seal means that now the fox's chakra will be enhanced, and any amounts he pulls out will be both more potent and harder to control…I could try undoing the Inuzuka rebonding, but it would take time, and I would need chances to study the seal for long periods of time…and adding another partner is just giving the kid a ticking a time bomb…this really is a right cock up.' Jiraiya sighed again, and nodded to Naruto, gesturing that he could return his shirt to normal.

"What is your diagnostic, Jiraiya?" The third had his own opinions on what happened, but he wanted to hear the seal masters opinion.

"The original seal helped the kid focus better, but the current set up will just give him more power and less control…the overall seal wasn't damaged, but the kids new facial features will stick around unless we undo the changes. But undoing it will take time, and might be more trouble than it's worth…plus undoing it might even risk the integrity of the Fourth's work…" The Hokage nodded to Jiraiya's suggestion, and Kakashi cleared his throat slightly, drawing the groups' attention.

"If it's a matter of control, well, I've been drilling them all on control exercises quite extensively already. With a little work, I'm confident he could regain his ability to water walk and perhaps further his control after that…" Naruto nodded at Kakashi's suggestion, and the third seemed to scratch something down on a piece of paper in response.

"While I would agree with that, there is still more to hear…tell me Naruto, while you were using the fox's chakra, was there ever a time when you were not in control of your actions?" Naruto seemed confused by the question, and brought a hand to his head, trying to force the memories back.

"There was a lot of pain, and anger…I remember wanting to kill the mercenaries for what they did, and…and then I saw Kakashi talking to Gato…I remember something telling me to keep Kakashi away from my kills, and fighting that urge off…but then there was a lot of pain and then my memory goes fuzzy for a bit…sorry, but that's the most I can remember." The third nodded at this and turned an eye to Kakashi.

"Well, it is true that some memories can become lost while in the midst of battle. As per normal, you, and your teammates will begin to receive counseling from a Yamanaka shortly, and as such we might be able to draw a few more details from your events. I am going to recommend that you begin your counseling sessions today though, in light of the coming grand council concerning the events of your mission." Naruto blinked but nodded in agreement. After that, the boy shifted in his seat, and turned a questioning glance on the Hokage.

"With the grand council hearing, is that going to be about my losing control of the fox? Because I don't think I can be blamed for something that I don't know anything about beforehand…" The Hokage held up a hand to cut the boy off, and Naruto gulped quickly. "The other thing is…I want to know why the Fourth chose me for the sealing…why me over anyone else…was there no one else that was born that day, or what?" The third grimaced at that particular line of questioning, but pulled a scroll out from his desk.

"This scroll contains everything that I am about to say, as well as some technical details concerning issues at the grand council meeting." The third took a long draw on his pipe and then set it down to the side. In a smooth movement, the elder ninja glided from his seat to stand beside Naruto, leaving the view of the village clear.

"The Fourth Hokage is regarded as one of the greatest Hokage that Konoha has ever had. However, one of the greatest reasons for sadness in our village was that the Fourth Hokage never had children. As you know from your experiences with me, I was the father of one or two children such that I can now be called a grandfather." Naruto nodded at all this, a frown flitting across the boy's features. "The Second Hokage was similar to me in this regard, but the first, for his own reason, never had children. One of the main reasons that the First did not have children was that his wife was the current Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox." Naruto's face drew into a puzzled expression, trying to follow the conversation and its many twists and turns.

"But I'm an Inuzuka…and I know that I can't be the son of my mom and Tsume…and what does that have to do with the First's wife being the container for the fox anyways?" Naruto's voice was low, and full of self-doubt.

"Let me finish explaining please." Naruto nodded to the Third, mollified, and the elder ninja took a long draw on his pipe before continuing. "The reason that it matters is that your mother is not Tsume, nor is it an Inuzuka. You are an adoption into the Inuzuka clan Naruto, something that is very rare in hidden villages." Naruto felt his eyes go wide at that, and Kakashi grimaced from where he stood, his face hidden by his mask. Jiraiya seemed to be staring fixedly out the window, studying the far skyline.

"Your mother was in fact the former Jinchuuriki for the Nine-Tailed fox, Kushina Uzumaki." Naruto again turned a questioning eye on the elder, but the Third merely raised a hand to forestall any more enquiries.

"The next thing you need to understand are the responsibilities of a Hokage. Each Hokage is chosen such that they have a large enough power to safely meet and associate with the other Kage's. But the second responsibility of each Kage is to possess the necessary power and abilities to, if necessary, face their village Jinchuuriki in armed combat and prevail. This is the case with every Kage that comes from a nation with a Jinchuuriki." Naruto's eyes begged the third to continue, but the elder noticed the grip that Naruto's hands seemed to be exerting on his knees.

"What the old man is trying to say kid, is that your father was the Fourth Hokage, and your mother Kushina Uzumaki." Naruto turned suddenly to face Jiraiya, the boy's face full of anguish and the man's stony and set.

"So why…why didn't either of their families take me in? Why was I taken in by the Inuzuka?" Kakashi coughed into his hand to get Naruto's attention, well aware of the track that the boy's coming hysterics could head.

'He's gained some semblance of control again these last few weeks, but this, even with the counseling, might be a bit much…' Kakashi stepped forward and brought himself to eye level with Naruto.

"Naruto…the thing is…your father's clan was very nearly wiped out during the last ninja war. He was the last member of it in fact, and had hopes of rebuilding it himself one day. As for your mother, her clan was not based in Konoha, though they were allies. After the last war, they suffered heavy losses, and their village was scattered to the winds…" Naruto's eyes were confused, searching desperately for deceit from the masked ninja.

"That…that means I'm the last one, huh?" Jiraiya shook his head and stepped over to the boy, making Naruto flinch in reaction.

"You're not the last one of the Uzumaki, at least not by what I've been able to pick up…there might be a few more Uzumaki's out there, but they are so scattered, and possibly don't even know their clan history. Still, they exist. Also, the Namikaze were very close to the Inuzuka Clan, so you really can still keep your affiliation with them and not worry about things too much." Naruto blinked in surprise at the larger man, and drew his gaze down questioningly.

"And just why do you know all this, huh? If the Uzumaki are our allies, why haven't you brought them back to our village? And who were the Namikaze, I hardly know anything about them! They were mentioned in class and stuff, but I really can't remember who they were!" Jiraiya chuckled and tossed the scroll that the Third had proffered earlier over to the kid.

"The old man wasn't kidding when he said it's all in there. You can find everything you need to know in there, and more, Naruto. As for my knowing things, I'm a spy for Konoha, and one of the best. However, your relatives are in tight spots, and there is nothing I can really do to get them out of them at the moment…" Naruto gripped the scroll tightly, and began to open it, looking up at the sage with doubtful eyes.

"If that's so, then why do you care? I mean, you probably worked with the Fourth and all, but that doesn't mean you should be going out of your way for him…" Jiraiya sighed, and smiled at the kid sadly.

"Your old man was one of my first pupils. I trained him up, helped him become the seal master he was, and he even made me your godfather." Jiraiya's face darkened for a second, then seemed to recover quickly. "However, because of my job as a spy master, I was never able to really come back and look out for you; plus doing so would have blown your identity sky high. Sorry kid, but my hands were tied." Jiraiya shook his head ruefully, but Naruto kept a scrutinizing gaze on the man. Jiraiya felt taken aback by the hard stare, and was reminded of the looks that his former teammate Orochimaru would throw him at times.

"Alright, so…that explains that…but why wasn't I told of this sooner?" The third sighed in response to that question, and nodded again to the scroll.

"If you remember Naruto, I said the Inuzuka adopted you. It wasn't just that they were looking after you, they had to raise you as one of their own, and within their main house no less. In order for that to be agreed to though, some stipulations were allowed. Though the age of adulthood in the village may start at genin rank, in the Inuzuka clan it is at age 16 or Chuunin rank, and as such you were kept from the knowledge until such a time. I actually argued with Tsume several times on that matter, but she was most insistent." Naruto chuckled lightly at the statement, and shook his head in disbelief.

"That sounds like Mo…like her." Naruto grimaced, fighting to keep his words in line. 'She's not my mother, even though she raised me as such…and especially not for keeping this from me…' Naruto thought of Kurama, and felt his anger spike slightly. Reigning it in quickly, Naruto was surprised to see the looks of shock on Jiraiya and the Third's face.

"Yeah…that happens when I get mad, sorry about that…" Jiraiya shook his head at the kid, disbelief written over his face.

"It's fine kid, don't worry about it. I remember my teammates scared a number of people in our younger days when we were mad, so don't worry on it too much…" Jiraiya shook himself mentally to clear his head a little. 'Damn if that didn't remind me of a younger version of Orochimaru though…need to be careful with this one, Hiruzen…Minato deserved better than to have that repeat with his progeny…'

"I think this is all I can take for now though, I'm sorry Hokage-sama." Hiruzen merely nodded to Naruto in understanding and proffered the scroll once more.

"I understand Naruto, and as I said, it will be necessary that we begin your sessions with the Yamanaka as soon as possible. Here are the details of a Inoichi Yamanaka I want you to see. Stop by his place after you leave here. He'll be expecting you." Naruto nodded in understanding before bowing to the group. As he was about to leave, he turned back and addressed Jiraiya.

"If you really are my godfather, please help me soon. I'm going to be moving out of the Inuzuka compound regardless of what happens, as I don't want to risk their well-being with my presence." Jiraiya wanted to speak against that line of argument, but a look from Kakashi cut the man off. Instead, the hulking white haired man nodded, and gave the boy a reassuring smile. With that, Naruto smiled back and slipped out the door.

"That kid is going to be lots of trouble, Hiruzen…still, damn if he doesn't remind me of a scarier version of his old man. With some of the pep and spit fire of Kushina to boot." The third chuckled in agreement, and even Kakashi smiled a little at the statement.

"Yes, I think Naruto is a fitting combination of both their personalities, though Tsume-san may have tempered the influence of Naruto's mother a slight bit. Now, Kakashi, you have some details regarding the agreement in Wave I believe?"

xXxXxXx

"Ah good, you're here. There are a number of things we need to discuss regarding your new living agreement." Sakura stared around in confusion as the voice echoed seemingly inside her skull. The girl had walked into what was formerly her home to find the place abandoned, and devoid of all furniture. In the center of the room sat a man, a set of bandages covering half his body and face. A simple meal of fish and rice was set in front of him, and the air around him seemed to be strangely charged somehow.

"Who are you? What happened to my house?" Sakura's voice was shrill, and seemed to come in quick gasps to the girl's ear.

"You will not speak unless I ask you to." The man that was sitting in front of Sakura did not move, but the girl felt a strong wind suddenly yank her off her feet and slam her to the ground. The door behind the girl shut quickly, and the room blazed with esoteric symbols covering every wall. "Is that understood, Sakura Haruno?" Sakura nodded from her position on the floor, eyes filled with questions and confusion.

"Good. And don't worry, you'll soon come to understand what it means to train underneath me. Under my tutelage, you will become great, and will be valued by the village." The man pushed the tray of food across the floor to her with his cane, watching her the whole time for signs of contention. "Eat." At the girl's questioning look, the man stooped and took a bite of the food. "It's not poisoned. Eat." Sakura turned and began to eat slowly, all the while her eyes trained on the strange man.

"My name is Danzo Shimura. And I am your new master. You will eat when I tell you, sleep when I tell you, and be what I tell you. Your old existence is forfeit. Your new existence is to exist only for me." Sakura kept her gaze to the floor, not daring to look up from her spot.

xXxXxXx

Naruto's head remained fixed in the distance, looking out over the village around him. The monument to the Hokage was in the distance, and Naruto sat with his hood up, and his features hidden. It did nothing to help quiet the blonde's raging mind.

'The whole nation was destroyed…and yet, we know there are survivors, and can't do a thing about it. Many of them fled to nearby village of Amegakure, and yet we aren't even allowed to rescue them because the country is on lockdown…' Naruto turned and glared at the image of the Fourth Hokage, his hands tightening around his biceps as he did.

'My father left me to take care of the fox, and my mother was the last of my clan in the village…on top of that, because of my dad, I don't even have the hair of my mother's clan…' The village breeze caused the lining around Naruto's coat to flicker against his face as he sat, bringing back painful memories.

'Despite all of that…they still made sure that I was taken care of by someone…and that I grew up well…maybe, maybe I can forgive them.' Naruto felt the first hot tears begin to fall, and buried his head in his arms as silent sobs racked through his frame.

'Still, I'm going to have to talk to Mo…Tsume-san about why I wasn't informed about this earlier…and about what me being an Uzumaki or Namikaze will mean…' As Naruto stared at the face of the Fourth Hokage, at the still and stern image on the mountain, Naruto felt his gaze harden.

'Screw the Namikaze, and the Uzumaki…I'm staying an Inuzuka if I can help it! I don't care if they were my biological parents, Tsume and Kegawa were the ones who raised me! I'm staying an Inuzuka if I have any chance to, and screw whatever gets in my way!' Naruto felt his blood begin to rage, and his eyes lit with passion. Standing up as tall as he could, Naruto turned and bellowed out over the village.

"You hear that, Konoha! Naruto Inuzuka is here to stay, so you better get used to it! Believe it, damn it! I'm going to be Number One!" No response came to the boy, but the mere making of the statement was enough for the young ninja.

xXxXxXx

Yep, cutting it off there! Took forever, but I have almost everyone back home, had some fun moments, and am overall satisfied with this. Sorry for the extended wait, there was a bit of a delay due to spring break throwing off my interest/ability to write. But here it is, and I hope it's everything worth the wait. Not much else to say, so I hope to see you around when the next chapter is ready to go! As always, read and review!


	11. Chapter 11: Dogs of War III

ALRIGHT! Sorry for the delay, there were exams, and then getting back to America, and a whole list of delays, that none of you care too much about I'm sure! But, I'm back, and have a new chapter for everyone! HOORAY!

Quick note of shout out thanks to Agent Orange for his continuous help on the fic and keeping me motivated when things got in the way! Also, shout out to all the other reviewers who have kept up with me! This chap should see the unfolding of the Namikaze history, as well as the solving of Naruto's mental anguish and the clan dispute being settled. So strap in and here we go!

I OWN NOTHING BUT THE ORIGINAL STUFF!

xXxXxXx

"You yell loud enough Naruto? I think the whole village heard you…" Naruto turned his gaze down from his perch atop a telephone pole to see the bored face of Shikamaru, flanked by Ino and Choji. None of the trio had changed their looks since their academy days, jacket halter top, and odd headband choice and all.

"Oh, hey guys…" Naruto called down with slight embarrassment in his voice, worry quickly flickering across his face. 'Well, here goes…time to see how others react to my new appearance…' Clenching his fists tightly, Naruto gripped the scrolls as he walked down the pole. He slipped once or twice, but managed to catch himself.

"Wow, you got the tree climbing down too, huh?" Ino's voice floated up questioningly to Naruto as he approached. "And you dyed your hair blonde too? It's a good look for you, you know?" Naruto smirked slightly, wondering what she would think when she saw him up close.

"Not sure about the transformation though…that's one nasty face you have going there…" Choji had stopped munching on his chips long enough to comment on it, and it drew a glance of suspicion from Shikamaru as the boy approached.

"Yeah, it's a bit of a nasty one." Naruto's voice had no hint of sarcasm in it, and it seemed rather strained as he spoke. Ino gasped slightly as he drew closer, but Shikamaru was the next to speak.

"You don't have Kurama anymore…and those marks didn't shift in the sunlight, so that's a permanent change, probably from the beast seal release, right?" Naruto grimaced, his face taking on one of fear as he looked at Shikamaru. The others on either side gasped slightly, their eyes going wide as they took in the new look. Naruto's eyes were ringed by dark outlines, and had a vulpine shape to them. His whisker markings had darkened as well, and his eyes had taken on a red and slitted appearance. Fangs jutted slightly from the bottom of his lips, and claws were formed at the end of each fingertip. Combined with his all black outfit, and he looked a nasty sight.

"Yeah, it's permanent. And yes…Kurama's gone." Naruto's hands shook by his side, and his head was lowered as his voice quaked. Taking a deep, long breath, Naruto seemed to pull himself back together quickly. "I'm actually on my way for counseling right now. I need to meet up with an Inoichi Yamanaka. Ino, do you know where I can find him?" Ino laughed lightly, breaking the suddenly nervous air surrounding the group.

"Yeah, I can take you there, he's my dad. I'm actually on my way to see him now." Naruto seemed to brighten slightly at the news, his face coming up in a smile. Ino grimaced slightly at the smile, and Naruto drew back for a moment. Ino quickly recovered though and held out her hand for him.

"It's alright, I'm pretty sure you're not going to bite me Naruto. Just might take me a while to get used to your smilodon face." Ino brightened prettily at the boy, and Naruto smiled lightly in return. "I'll catch you two at the training ground, can you tell Asuma-sensei why I'm late?" Shikamaru and Choji nodded in agreement, each waving at the pair brightly.

"Don't worry Naruto, we won't be scared off by your face for long! We know the real you underneath there!" Naruto grimaced internally at Choji's comment, but smiled back in agreement.

'If he knew what I really contained, I'm not so sure he'd say that…' Naruto gripped the documents in his hands a bit tighter, but shook off his worried look when Ino pulled insistently on his hand. They had been walking through the streets for a while now, and Naruto noticed the warmth in his palm, and the heat going to his cheeks. It was at this point that Naruto noticed he was holding hands with the blonde girl, and blushed horribly.

"I can follow you just fine you know!" Naruto cried out, yanking his hand back to himself. Ino blushed at Naruto again, and then smirked slightly to herself.

"Sorry, guess I just got a bit excited about there being another fellow blonde my age." Ino smiled brightly at Naruto, getting the boy to flush slightly. "Come on though, I don't want to be late for my team practice!" Ino sprinted through the streets, and Naruto raced to keep pace. Several of the villagers gave him odd looks as he passed, and the boy just shrugged them off. Ninja's were known for having strange fashion sense in Konoha, so nothing so far had come of it.

'Maybe Kakashi was right, and Wave just wasn't used to the weirdness of ninja…' Naruto felt a bit more of a smile spread. 'Maybe if I keep the fox secret to just a trusted few, I can avoid things getting too out of hand.'

xXxXxXx

Sasuke trembled as he read over the details about Naruto's lineage. 'I'm not sure if I owe a debt to the idiot or if he owes a debt to my family. Things always have to be complicated with you, don't they knucklehead?'

Sasuke remembered from his clan lessons that the Namikaze were staunch allies of the Uchiha, and the primary reason they were allowed to join the Senju contract. The Namikaze had worked many missions alongside the Uchiha during the dark days, often significantly enhancing the clan's techniques, and even developing original wind jutsu to complement the fire jutsu of the Uchiha. With the additional support of the Inuzuka, the Namikaze had even managed to get the Uchiha to agree to a truce with the Senju, and had brokered them the position of the military police. If Naruto were only to want to reinstate the Namikaze, Sasuke would have to back him out of obligation for his family's debt to Naruto's.

The Uzumaki were the opposite story though; where the Namikaze had aided and argued for the Uchiha, the Uzumaki had outright refused to deal with them. They had even broken off terms of sanctuary with the main Senju clan, opting instead to form their own nation. It was due to their influence that the Uchiha were distrusted within the village proper. It was even speculated that the backdraft from the disagreements were what had kept his clan from attaining any true position of trust within the village.

'If Naruto sides with his father, I must support him. If he sides with his mother, I must stand against him…' Sasuke turned to the further mission details, and felt his stomach turn slightly. 'That's if I can even trust him. According to this, the fox was able to wrest at least momentary control over Naruto, and he murdered Inari and Tsunami, along with Gichi and his wife. That makes at least slightly more sense though…Gatou never did intend to return the hostages…but Naruto's action spared them from a death of hemlock poison…' Sasuke flickered his mind back to the ninja from Mist that Naruto had killed on the way to Wave. 'Whether that was really a mercy or not though, I'm not sure…'

Rising to his feet, Sasuke rolled up the council scrolls. 'Whatever happens, I know now that I will need to be ready to control him if I ever want to trust him as an ally. That means I need to visit the clan shrine…'

xXxXxXx

"Rest." Sakura fell to her knees, almost in worship at the word. The simple utterance seemed enshrined to the girl, her body shaking in happiness at the reprieve. Since she had arrived home hours ago, her new tormentor had made her repeatedly attack a wooden log with her whips in each hand, demanding her to focus a different element on each side of her body. Despite her prodigal chakra control, this proved to be difficult for the girl.

Unfortunately, the punishment for failure seemed to be disturbingly powerful genjutsu that would rip at her sanity. Tears welled at the corners of the girl's eyes, but she fought to keep the iron control she had learned as a child. Footsteps, and the matching thump of a cane, brought Danzo into Sakura's view. She glared up at the man, trying to muster as much rage as she could. Danzo merely regarded her coldly, and placed his boot on the back of her head.

Sakura felt her head rise from the floor slightly, and grimaced up at the older ninja. "I said, REST!" His voice was absolute as he slammed her head suddenly into the floor. In a moment of pain, the world suddenly went stark white.

When Sakura awoke, her head was groggy, and the room emptied of anyone in the house. On the floor was a note for her, written by Danzo. As Sakura stooped to read it, she felt her tongue suddenly flash in pain, and her eyes watered in agony. Looking around, the girl noted the empty room, and the blank, white washed walls once more. The light outside told her it was around midday, though she was unsure if it was the same day that she had arrived in the village.

"_No doubt you are feeling the effects of your training already. The headaches will start to grow stronger over time; My aggressive treatment is not the cause of your injury, and will soon pale in comparison to the pain your abilities will cause as they are awakened."_ Sakura paused in her reading, feeling a sudden spike in her migraine. It seemed to want to split her head in two, and the girl reeled slightly, biting back a gasp of pain.

"_Your abilities are a legacy from your true parents, both of which were experimented on by Orochimaru in secret over twenty years ago. They survived his operation, long enough to conceive and birth you, but within several months of your birth were driven clinically insane by their burgeoning abilities, and committed suicide." _Sakura felt her eyes go wide at the words in front of her, and fought down the urge to vomit.

'I was adopted…and I'm an experiment…a lab rat…' Sakura's stomach turned harshly, and the girl turned and vomited into the corner. Forcing her eyes back to the page, the girl reluctantly continued to read.

"_Orochimaru was attempting to revive the line of the Senju, apparently in an attempt to garner favor with the village and impress the council into reconsidering their stated, but not yet approved appointment of Minato Namikaze as the Fourth Hokage. His attempt was misguided and his results yielded only one other truly successful survivor; you are the second to show signs of his experiment bearing fruit, and as such have been apprenticed to me for the indefinite future. You will meet with your team at your normal times, take missions with them, and eat with them as equals. However, your mornings and evenings belong to me, and when your team is freed from duty, for whatever reason, you belong to me. I have taken the liberty of applying a secrecy seal to your tongue…" _

Sakura broke off at this, grabbing a reconnaissance mirror from her weapons pouch and turned the thing to reflect her image. Fearfully opening her mouth, Sakura noted an intricate seal pattern along the back of her tongue, causing the girls eyes to grow wide. Nausea overtook her again, and the girl dry heaved into the corner for several more minutes.

Feeling her ire grow, Sakura returned to the reading of the scroll, fighting down a second migraine attack. _"Cha! Who's that bastard think he is! Ordering us around, commanding us! Silencing us! There're laws against this! We'll take this up with the Hokage himself!" _For some reason, the voice in Sakura's head seemed louder than before, and seemed to make the pain inside her skull pound harder than ever. Taking several deep breaths, Sakura managed to force herself back to the page once more.

"…_which will limit you from talking about meeting, training, or even knowing me. Talking about my training methods, where you train, and who gave you the seal will also be restricted from being divulged to the public. This method has proven effective in the past though, so take heart that my methods so far have either completely repressed the abilities of the test subjects, or in one current case, led to mastery of the Shodaime's ability, the legendary Mokuton. Other methodologies, when attempted, have led to the death of the subject in most gruesome ways, such as your parents. For your information, the Hokage has approved of this method, as has a majority of the Council of Flame. There will be no reconsideration of this program. You will find at the bottom of this letter a key and address to an apartment. We will meet in the base of the apartment during the evenings, and you will return to your quarters there every night. Failure to do so will be met with harsh consequences. I expect your arrival before eight this evening." _

Sakura took several deep breaths, finding herself fighting down a hysteria attack. The tears welled at the corners of her eyes. 'A shinobi's not allowed to break…a shinobi's not allowed to break…a shinobi's not allowed to…_**BREAK!'**_

Sakura doubled over in pain as tears poured from her eyes. The voice in her head was screaming at her, sounding violent and wild. It sounded of trees, and life, and birds. It sang of nature itself, of existence, and all of its primal fury. Forcing herself to remain calm, Sakura repeated her mantra out loud, unconsciously curling into the fetal position and rocking back and forth.

xXxXxXx

Naruto rocked back and forth on his heels, waiting as Ino and Inoichi talked inside. It seemed that Inoichi was happy to see Naruto, and had been informed ahead of time of his arrival. Ino however was complaining about her dad trying to get her to work an extra shift while he worked with Naruto.

Naruto looked up as the door rang and Asuma came inside. The tall jounin paused as he looked at the changed appearance of Naruto, and pulled a cigarette from his pocket. His face was neutral enough, but there was a bit of an apprehensive appearance on his face.

"Shikamaru told me about the changes, but that's still quite a new face." Asuma noticed the leaf in Naruto's hand and smiled at the small cut he saw going across the surface. "You're a wind user too; guess that's why Kakashi wanted some advice way back when. How's that going by the way, you seem pretty far along." Naruto smiled up at Asuma, glad for the normal sound in his voice.

"Don't worry kid. I've been a ninja my whole life, and I've seen mugs much uglier and scarier than yours before." Naruto brightened, and brought the leaf close to him, focusing on the wind chakra. A second later, he held it out for Asuma.

"I can get it to about three quarters of the way now, so I'm making good progress. Still, it's going to be a bit longer before I can get it all the way. Plus, my control is really off since the seal release, like there's too much chakra to grind together easily; sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't…" Asuma smiled in surprise at the kid, rubbing his hair affectionately.

"You're making good progress though, you only started that what, two months ago!" Naruto blushed and smiled widely at the compliment. "Though that's quite the scary smile you got there kiddo…" Naruto blinked, and chuckled awkwardly at the compliment.

"Sorry, I'm used to smiling a lot…guess I have to adjust still…" Naruto seemed deflated slightly, and Asuma took a long drag on his cigarette before exhaling loudly.

"You know, I've found taking a break from working so hard helps when I have adjustments to make. If you promise to take the next few days off, at least until after the council hearing, relaxing and enjoying things as much as you can, I'll let you in on the secret to how get over the last little hurdle on your training." Naruto brightened at the promise, and gave Asuma a grateful look.

"Thanks! Man, I can see why Ino wants to go to training with a sensei as nice as you; I bet they learn lots of awesome things!" Asuma puffed out his chest at the praise, and then turned when the door opened to reveal a pouting Ino in an apron, and Inoichi out of his work outfit.

It was the first that Naruto had seen the man, and he took in the resemblance to Ino quickly. Both of them sported the same blue eyes and blonde hair. Inoichi also had a slim figure, and came up to about Asuma's shoulders. He had long arms, and a refined air about him, despite the girlish ponytail he sported. He was wearing standard shinobi garb, a long black sleeve shirt and pants, with a jounin flak jacket over the top. He had basic shinobi sandals and gloves as well. The only shocking part was his eyes. His eyes were a harsh blue, like a frozen lake, as he took in Naruto's appearance, though they softened when he caught the boy's gaze.

"Don't worry Naruto, just taking in your new appearance. I can see that the incident left some new physical looks for you…" Naruto grimaced but nodded towards Inoichi. The man smiled and turned to kiss Ino on the forehead. The girl seemed to struggle away from the embrace, and Naruto felt himself grimace further, trying to hide his discomfort at the actions.

'I'll probably never get that again…once I move out of the clan compound, I'll be gone for good from the Inuzuka…'

Asuma crushed a cigarette into a countertop ashtray at the sight, letting out a dejected sigh. "Guess I get to go play shogi with Shikamaru and train Choji without you Ino. Sorry, but you can get some one on one time with me later, alright?" Ino gave a weak reply, which got a small chuckle from the large man as he headed out the door.

"Come on Naruto, my office is back this way. We can meet in there for your first session." Naruto nodded to Inoichi as he was led away from the flower room to a nearby hallway. The walls were a light crème color and had floral designs on them, reminding him of a dentist's office.

"Alright, so today we're going to be doing the basics of a mind search. I've been informed by the council of what happened on the bridge in Wave, as well as the mental block that seems to have established itself due to trauma from the incident." Naruto seemed to stiffen a bit at the comments, but Inoichi's firm hand on his shoulder guided him into a small sitting room.

The room was spartanly decorated, with simple wood paneling and sliding doors, as well as a single table with a tea set on it in the center. Inoichi pushed the boy forward towards the table, and Naruto took a seat gingerly.

"We're going to go over some things first before we begin the session." Inoichi moved around to the other side of the table, and activated a seal with the press of one of his hands. "That seal will silence our conversation to outside listeners. Now then, you are aware of your connection to the nine-tailed demon fox, known as Kyuubi, yes?" Naruto nodded to the question, his eyes tightening fiercely. His nails dug into his pants, but before he could get much further, the smell of strong tea leaves hit his nose.

"This is some calming tea, it will relax you before we begin our session." Naruto nodded and took the drink into his hands, sipping it lightly. It burned a bit and had a strange taste, but he managed to drink it down. "Have you, since the incident on the bridge, made contact with the demon fox?" Naruto shook his head at this, which made Inoichi frown.

"There may be some slight danger in my entering your mindscape with you. The mindscape is where the consciousness of the fox would also be stored, and if you have not made a connection with him then I do not know how limited he may be from exerting mental influence." Naruto felt his eyes go wide, and he started to protest but Inoichi silenced him with a raised hand.

"Please, have some more tea and allow me to continue with the pre-session counseling." Naruto nodded, his face drawn into one of concern. "When the bijuu is encountered for the first time, there is usually a period of time in which the jinchuuriki and the bijuu can make an agreement on terms of conduct. I would advise you to make a deal with the demon, but make sure you limit his access to information that can be used to influence you. Allowing it to see, feel, or hear anything in your daily life will greatly aid it. The only memories that reach it will be the strongest, but even so, minor memories can be twisted and turned into powerful enemies. Something I'm sure Kakashi has shown you through genjutsu demonstrations." Naruto nodded, remembering several bad experiences in the Forest of Death.

"Now then, I assume you've read the scroll that the Hokage gave you concerning the mental exercises we're going to go through?" Naruto nodded to Inoichi and the man smiled back at him. "Good, then close your eyes and begin to meditate. In a moment, you will feel my mind touch yours, and we shall enter your mindscape together. Don't be alarmed when you feel my consciousness reach out to yours, there will be no pain in this process." Naruto nodded once and began to center his breathing. A moment later, he felt his body go slack and his world seemed to pitch wildly.

xXxXxXx

Naruto opened his eyes to find himself standing in a field. Behind him was a large bridge, with a damaged section over a large abyss. On the other side of the bridge, Naruto could see the shapes and outlines of Konoha, though it seemed faded and far off.

"Interesting place to start…and I see that you've already begun to distance yourself from your childhood memories, something quite common in young ninja." Naruto whirled around to find Inoichi standing next to him. "As you might have guessed, we're in your mind right now Naruto, though everything you see around you is your mental recreation of your inner world."

Naruto turned and took in the landscape, noting the pleasant fields, and the outcropping of several houses with names written on the front of them. There were ones for Sasuke, and Sakura, as well as Kakashi and several other friends. The one that embarrassed him the most was the one that had his name emblazoned on the door next to Tenten's. Off in the distance though, there was a faded red sun that just seemed to sit on the horizon, and woods that were blackened and scarred. Red eyes peered from the forest, and Naruto turned frightfully toward Inoichi.

"Don't worry, none of the things in here can harm you, and I am required by my practice to keep confidentiality about what I find. Now, let's journey in deeper, shall we?" Naruto nodded fearfully to Inoichi as the two walked toward the forest, their footsteps echoing silently in the world around them. As they did, the houses seemed to quickly fade away and the forest drew closer. The red eyes from the forest became clearer, turning into the four wavy red lines of a hunter ninja mask from the Hidden Mist.

"Why do the masks look like the accomplice of Zabuza, Haku? I never fought him directly at the battle of the bridge?" Inoichi nodded to Naruto's question, thinking as the two paused in the forest. The eyes seemed to draw nearer, and Naruto felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise precipitously.

"You blame Haku for training the mercenaries to fight you, and from that, for the death of Kurama." Naruto stiffened at that, and turned to look at the red eyes in the forest, anger filling him. "It is alright to feel anger at him for that, Naruto, but know that he was ultimately not responsible. The real culprits were the mercenaries you faced, not Haku. Anger, and a desire for revenge, will only hobble you in the long run anyways. Better to be accepting of what happened, and move on from the pain in time."

Naruto nodded to Inoichi, and took a deep and calming breath. As he did, the eyes fled back into the darkness, quickly fading from view. A path opened up in front of the pair, leading out of the woods, and towards a cave in the distance. The red light that had appeared in the distance to be the sun was coming from the cave in front of them, and as they approached it settled into a ghastly visage.

There was a large round sphere blocking a cave entrance, and it seemed to be constructed from body parts. Flesh was coated a red color, and the stench coming from the large sphere was palpable. Inoichi's firm hand on Naruto's shoulder held him in place, and the boy felt his knees shake as he took in what was in front of him. Plastered into the macabre sphere was the sigil for sealing, lines of text racing across from it in all directions.

"If the eyes were from Haku, then what is this from? I think I would remember something like this!" Inoichi tightened his hand on Naruto's shoulder and turned him so he could look him in the eyes.

"During your mission to wave, when you lost control over your emotions and the fox took over for a short period, you killed a number of people. I don't know how this memory came to be sealed off from you, but it is likely that it occurred naturally to save your mind from terrible mental trauma. However, now we need to bypass the seal in order to gain access to information for the grand council, and to unlock your connection to the fox. It would seem the fox, when first contacted, bonded harshly to this set of memories. Until these memories are released, it is possible that your connection to the fox will be inaccessible."

"Isn't that a good thing though? When I connect to the fox, I can lose control, and become a danger to my allies!" Inoichi nodded at this, but stooped to Naruto's height and looked him sadly in the eyes.

"While that is true, the fox is also a weapon for our village, Naruto. In order for that to happen though, you need to be able to call on the fox in times of need. Simply locking it away forever won't do anything to stop foreign nations from turning their jinchuuriki on us. Konoha needs the fox to maintain the balance of power in the world." Naruto grimaced, balling his hands at his sides.

"It's great and all being the village's powerful protector," Naruto spat out, "But I really wonder if anyone will appreciate what I do…they're just going to see me as the village monster, a chained dog" Inoichi squeezed Naruto's shoulder to get him to turn back and face him.

"You will make the village see you however you want. That's one thing I've learned throughout the years I've spent counseling ninja. Shinobi can appear to be the deadliest things on the face of the earth, or complete idiots and fools. It all depends on how you want the world to see you." Inoichi squeezed Naruto's shoulder again, and Naruto lowered his head in thought. He thought over the way Kakashi was viewed by villagers, as well as his first reaction upon meeting Guy and Lee. He thought of Zabuza, and Haku, and the terror they inspired in his team. He finally thought of the kind Hokage, who never seemed terribly threatening, but was more powerful than all of them.

When he raised it, there was that iconic fire in his eyes again as he looked at the sphere in front of him.

"Alright then, how do we get rid of this thing so I can go back to being the next Hokage hopeful?" The cocky voice was shaky, but seemed to really be returning, bringing a slight smile to Inoichi's face.

Inoichi gestured toward the sigil in the center of the sphere. Not understanding, Naruto gave a confused look to Inoichi.

"In the sphere, near the center where the sigil mark is, there will be a trigger for the memory that is sealed there. Something that will bring it all back, and quickly…be warned though, such tragedies as this have been known to spawn a dark ego, a manifestation of your negative personality. You will have to conquer that as well if we are to advance." Naruto nodded dumbly and proceeded toward the ball of flesh.

Reaching his right hand out, Naruto felt his skin come in contact with the sphere. As soon as it did, memories washed over him from the battle at the bridge, clearer than they had ever been before. Naruto heard the screams of the men, felt their blood run through his claws, and worst of all, felt the sickening crunch of bones and blood on his teeth. Yanking himself away with a gasp, Naruto fell to his side and held on to his stomach, fighting back waves of nausea.

"They are only memories Naruto, they cannot harm you. You have to push through this, and find the trigger." Inoichi's voice seemed miles away, and Naruto turned and placed his hand on the surface of the orb once more. As his mind was assaulted with the memories, Naruto forced them aside, pushing instead to reach for the trigger. A few moments in, Naruto realized the voices had faded completely once his hands had closed around some sort of cloth object. Fearing what it was, Naruto slowly began to retrieve the object. As it cleared the surface of the sphere, Naruto felt his eyes rush wide, and memory come flooding back.

_'Something isn't right here…I need to stop!' Naruto felt his movements slow, and watched as the life drained from the woman, and his eyes flashing in recognition. 'NO! If that was her then…' Naruto tried to slow his body, to halt the movement, but his fist buried itself into the child's chest too soon._

_"NO!" The scream ripped from Naruto's throat, and he fell to his knees. The bubbling aura was gone, and the feeling of bloodlust, of abandon, was passing. It did nothing to halt the pain as Naruto looked on._

_"Naruto…why?" The coughed question brought Naruto's eyes away from his fist and onto the boy's face. He saw the black hair, the military helmet, and a crossbow on the boy's back. He saw the suspenders, and the sandals, and the bandages. He saw the eyes, wide with betrayal, and sadness._

_"Inari…I…I didn't mean to, I…I tried to stop…Come on, you're not dead! You're not dead!" Naruto yanked his hand from the boy's chest and jumped back at the spray of blood. The boy's eyes reflected nothing as Naruto gripped him, pounded on his chest and wailed at the heavens. "You can't die! I had to prove to you that hero's exist! I had to make you see the light in the world! You can't die!" Naruto's cry reached up to heaven, and the sky began to snow. Slowly, softly, it fell onto the boy's shoulders, as he gasped out his sadness._

The sphere faded in front of Naruto, boiling and hissing as it shaped itself into a mirror image of Naruto. Where Naruto was clad in an Inuzuka hoodie though, this one appeared dressed in solid black, and his eyes were red with blackened slits running through their centers.

"Ah…your screams were even better than last time…" Naruto blinked in surprise at the visage of himself, and coughed when he tried to talk. His throat was raw, and Naruto realized that he had possibly blacked out while screaming. "And what's more, your little friend is gone now that the boss and I have some room to maneuver again…" Naruto grit his teeth at the image, and looked around desperately for Inoichi.

"He told me about you though…you're just a collection of my negative aspects, nothing that can harm me here." The image chuckled at Naruto, smirking while Naruto climbed to his feet.

"Can't hurt you huh? How do restless nights of nightmares sound to you? When you can't control the fox's chakra, and it lashes out and kills others around you?" The smirk on the copy-cat's face was maddening. "Come on then, you want to kill me, don't you? Wipe out the negative sides of you that scream for blood and pain, like my master?"

"You're on, you asshole!" Naruto charged the copy image, wind whistling through outstretched claws. The visage dodged him easily, sweeping his legs and driving a foot towards Naruto's face. Naruto countered by rolling to the side and bringing an uppercut into the visage's face. His satisfaction was short lived when the doppleganger smashed a kick into Naruto's own jaw.

"You can't win, you know? Fighting me takes anger, and the more anger you feel, the stronger I get! So come and fight me, because the longer this takes, the better I'll become!" Naruto's eyes flashed in recognition, and he stood stock still. Though he was panting, he was managing to face his copy calmly.

"Well? Are you just going to stand there, asshole!" Naruto didn't move from his spot, and his face seemed to grow calmer by the second. Cursing in anger the image rushed at Naruto, who merely looked on calmly at his copy version, smiling lightly as the image rushed through him.

"You represent my anger, and my loss of control. To stop you, I only need to collect myself. Once I do, you are nothing to me." Naruto's words made the image fade and falter, and a moment later the dark visage passed through Naruto's frame.

"That may have worked this time, but some day, you'll have to face all of your darkness together…" The voice faded into the air, and as it did, Naruto felt heat flash at his back. Turning, Naruto saw that the mouth of the cave was bathed in a large amount of light, and that the sounds of deep chuckles and the howls of a fox could be heard coming from within.

"Naruto! Sorry, there was a large amount of backlash when that seal was released, and something kept me from reentering your mind!" Naruto was surprised to find Inoichi standing next to him once more, but he nodded happily to the man. "I see you managed to work past whatever the mental block was…" Naruto nodded again, smiling tightly.

"I remember now…what happened at the bridge…" Tears started flowing down Naruto's face, and his hands clenched tightly at his sides. "I failed on both of my promises…to never give in to bloodlust again, and to prove that hero's exist. How can I be a hero when I go around killing those who look up to me?"

"Did you mean to kill them?" Inoichi's voice was like a slap to Naruto's face. Wide eyes stared up at the Yamanaka, who merely sighed in response. "Did you intentionally kill the boy, Naruto?"

"No. I was trying to stop. My body wasn't in my own control then, there was too much pain. Too much pain and anger and suffering." Naruto's voice was low, and he seemed to shake in his despair.

"But, you didn't mean to kill them? And weren't they were suffering from hemlock poisoning, a powerful and painful drug to be killed with?" Naruto nodded at this, and took several ragged breaths.

"While dying the way they did was sad, such things are common in the ninja world. The only real reason the council was worried, was if the killings happened in cold blood, if you had willingly given in to the fox's control." Malevolent laughter echoed behind Naruto, as well as the pained cries of an unknown animal.

"How can I ever trust myself though? I failed to control myself there…I let my anger overcome me, and committed the worst of crimes…" Inoichi stepped to the side of Naruto once more, and placed a hand around the boy's shoulders.

"I knew Kegawa when I was a kid." Naruto whipped his head around to look Inoichi in the eyes. "That's right, I knew your adoptive father. He was a good man, but he too suffered from bouts of bloodlust in battle. Several times he was passed over for the promotion to special jounin because of his lack of control." Inoichi paused to take in Naruto's eyes and fix him with a serious look. "But he was still a good man. As such, there is nothing you need to worry about when it comes to dealing with bloodlust. The Inuzuka are infamous for their loss of control in battle. If you choose to distance yourself from that, then perhaps you should seek out other styles of fighting. I know the Namikaze have several that would work well for a wind user like you."

Naruto nodded at this, before feeling the tears take him over. Turning his head to the side, Naruto wiped at his eyes before turning back with a small smile.

"I'll find my own way then…I'll mix the Inuzuka, the Uzumaki and the Namikaze together, in a way that works for me. Because I'm not giving up on being an Inuzuka…family means no one turns their back on anyone else!" Inoichi nodded at that, and the two proceeded into the beginning of the cave.

xXxXxXx

Tsume lowered the family heirlooms, along with the various scrolls and photographs from their place in the clan cave. Few outside of the Inuzuka clan knew of the hidden shrine, and how it housed the precepts of many of the ancient clan styles and tracking techniques.

'Minato…I'm sorry I could not keep your son from harm…I think I raised him well, but I don't know what to do now for him. If you can hear this, send some form of guidance. Kushina, though you and I were never terribly close, you were often kind to me. Naruto is your son, and though I think he has accepted me as a mother, I hope I can retain at least some relation with him. Please guide me as I help him transition to life outside the pack.'

Tsume prayed for several long hours before returning to her home. There, she wept at her bedside, sad for the empty mattress beside her, where Kegawa used to rest. She pulled the council scrolls out, perusing them for some slight glimmer of hope. Strangely, she felt her eyes drawn to a section concerning the establishment of branch clans.

'It's a wild card, but one that might work…maybe…maybe he can stay as part of the pack…' Tsume read over the scroll, losing herself to the intricate bylaws in front of her.

xXxXxXx

Sasuke read over the clan history for what felt like the dozenth time. 'There has to be something here on controlling the bijuu using the Sharingan, damn it!' Sasuke flipped over a table in rage, smashing countless things against the tatami floor. An odd falling sound caught the boy as he quivered in rage. In the corner, on the far right, a dented floor board had collapsed inward.

'The ground underneath is supposed to be rock though…how did this happen?' Sasuke moved forward to investigate, kneeling at the base of the mat. There, underneath the mat, was a ladder, which descended quickly into the earth. There was light flickering from the bottom, from torches. How long they had been light for, Sasuke was unsure, but he felt that this was far closer to what he had been searching for than musty old records.

Lowering himself down, Sasuke came face to face with fabled sights; dotting along the walls were the infamous torches of the Uchiha legends, ones made for them as a peace offering brokered reluctantly with the Uzumaki, fans ever lit with fire. So distasteful was the treaty though that they had been hidden away forever.

'And here they are…hiding in the basement of the family shrine, ensconced with other Uchiha relics…' Sasuke proceeded down the flight of stairs, taking note as he did of the markings on the wall. The images of the Sharingan painted large flashed back at him, and acting on a whim, Sasuke called forth his Sharingan. As he did, he noticed the details that would have eluded him before; the slight recess in the crypt wall telling him there was a further room attached.

Steeling himself before venturing onward, Sasuke found himself face to face with a large stone tablet. Sasuke felt his eyes go wide, and he gripped his forehead in pain. Information seemed to be streaming into his skull, and he fought to keep it in place.

'Methods on using the Sharingan to subvert another's will…how to pass on this information to others through eye contact…how to control another's soulform through use of the Sharingan…' Realization ripped through Sasuke as his eyes pored over the tablet.

'This is what I've been searching for…This, more than Kakashi or anyone else will teach me the true way of using the Sharingan…' The seals on the tablet seemed to flash to life as Sasuke felt them burn into his soul.

xXxXxXx

"Naruto…I'm sorry, but from here on out you're on your own. We've reached the limit of the mindscape where it is safe for me to travel with you. Past here, the influence of an individual's soulform begins to take place." Naruto frowned at Inoichi. The two had journeyed deep into the cave, and the cries had only grown louder as they went.

"What makes this so different, it's just another cave opening like up above!" Naruto's voice was bright, despite the dimly lit conditions of the cave.

"I'm sorry, but I can feel the strain of entering into a person's soul at this point. Past here is a spot which no human should transgress upon another, except in the most dire of cases. Be careful though, and remember what I told you regarding the fox." Naruto nodded to Inoichi, and took the torch from the man as he began to fade away.

"I'll remember what you said, and straighten things out with the big blowhard!" Naruto called out to Inoichi as he turned to face the growling cave in front of him. Behind him was the way up, a long spiraling journey that led to light, and freedom.

Bracing himself once more, Naruto turned and walked into the cave. He rounded corner after corner, and felt the heat rise unbearably as he neared his destination. More than once, Naruto saw the image of bones and skulls littered about the cave, and there were dripping sounds that came from spires of stone in the ceiling. As he descended, the orange light became more and more oppressive, and eventually Naruto came to a rounding in a bend.

"**SO YOU ARRIVE HUMAN…WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU…" **In front of Naruto was a massive cage, with a simple sigil for seal placed across it. Just inside of the cage was the sprawled form of Kurama, with a large face that was hidden by shadows looming out at him. Naruto noticed the claw that was inserted into Kurama, and how the blood that pooled slowly at the fox's side leaked from the cage.

"What are you doing to him, let him go!" Naruto charged forward towards the cage, but leapt back suddenly when a claw jutted out from the bars.

"**WHAT NONSENSE IS THIS! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO LET THIS MORSEL ENTER MY DOMAIN, A SACRIFICE LONG OVER DUE…THOUGH YOUR INDULGENCES ON THE BRIDGE DID ALLOW ME TO FURNISH MY DWELLING SOMEWHAT…" **The claw gestured around the cage, where several skeletons could be seen, the bones bleached white from the intense heat coming from the cage.

"He had nothing to do with that! Let him go, you asshole! That's why his seal is still present on me, is because you've been torturing him!" The demon chuckled darkly as it stabbed its claw further into the fox, drawing an enraged growl from Naruto and a long whine from Kurama.

"**WELL, IF YOU WANT ME TO STOP SO BADLY, WHY NOT REMOVE THAT SLIP OF PAPER AND COME IN HERE TO GET HIM?" **The cries from the prone Kurama had Naruto balling his hands into fists and drawing blood from his claws.

"I'm not stupid, Kyuubi. I know what that slip of paper does, and I'm never letting you out again!" The demon twisted its claw in the fox's form. "Cut that out!" The chuckles emanating from the demon drove Naruto's hackles as high as they could go.

"**VERY WELL…WHILE IT AMUSES ME TO TORTURE THIS CREATURE SO, IT ONLY IS AMUSING FOR THE MENTAL ANGUISH IT HAS CAUSED YOU…OR DID YOU WONDER WHY YOU FELT HIS WEIGHT ON YOUR SHOULDERS SO OFTEN?" **The grin that came from behind the bars was large enough to fit an entire house inside it seemed, causing Naruto to take a fearful step back from the cage.

"**HOWEVER, THE LINK WITH IT IS DEGRADING OUR SEAL DANGEROUSLY, AND ALLOWING YOU TO SIPHON OFF TOO MUCH OF MY POWER TOO QUICKLY FOR MY TASTES." **The demon pushed the carcass of Kurama through the cage doors unceremoniously, dropping him at Naruto's feet.

"Kurama! Kurama, I'm here…I'm sorry this happened…I'm sorry I wasn't good enough…" The fox weakly turned watery eyes on Naruto as the boy cradled the fox's head. The fox began to lick Naruto's hand, then whimpered once before closing its eyes. The labored breathing of the fox drew even and Naruto clenched his eyes shut in pain. Moments later, he watched as Kurama's body began to flicker apart, as if into fireflies, before departing into nothingness. Surprisingly, the demon did not laugh at Naruto, but looked on in contemplation.

"**YOU TRULY WEEP FOR THE LOSS OF A PARTNER…YOU ARE INTERESTING HUMAN…PATHETIC, BUT INTERESTING." **Naruto seemed to shake at the statement, his shoulders heaving back and forth in misery. After a long moment, he seemed to draw even breath, and turned a stony glare on the demon.

"I'm never letting you out again, Kyuubi. You stay in my body, so you owe me rent when I ask for it, got that! But you get nothing else from me, for the rest of the time we are forced together!" Naruto's eyes turned on the demon, locking onto the large red irises. There was a gleam of hatred and anger etched there, along with great pain and sadness. The demon seemed taken aback for a moment, and growled lowly at the boy.

"**IF THAT'S THE CASE, EXPECT ALL THE MALEVOLENCE YOU CAN GET FROM ME! LOCK ME UP FOR ALL I CARE…WHEN THE TIME COMES FOR YOU TO FACE ME THOUGH, I WILL ENJOY DEVOURING YOUR ESSENCE AND VISITING TERROR UPON THIS WORLD." **

"Say what you want. You're not getting out of me until the day we both visit the land of the dead." Naruto turned and stormed out of the room, his eyes streaming tears as the Kyuubi raged behind him, thrashing against the metal bars with all its might.

"**YOU'LL BE BACK! YOU ENJOYED THE FEELING OF RIPPING THOSE MEN TO SHREDS, AND THE DAY WILL COME WHEN YOU HAVE TO AGAIN! WE'RE A WEAPON TO THEM, YOU INSOLENT BRAT! THAT'S ALL WE EVER WILL BE!"**

xXxXxXx

The image of a weapon flashing towards her had Sakura waking in a cold sweat. She was still lying on the ground of her old 'home', the walls the same strange color as they always had been. A headache pounded at her temples, and the girl found herself forcing back the sounds of her alternate personality.

'I guess I really will have to go through with that damned psycopahth's training…' Casting about, she quickly found the note that had been left for her, along with the key and address. Pocketing them, she stood up and began to take in her surroundings, trying to gauge the time.

"The way out is lit for you." Danzo's voice came from somewhere in the room, and Sakura noticed that a whole had been opened up in the floor boards. There were steps that led down into an inky darkness, and as Sakura moved along them, she found herself wondering at the underground complex.

There were passageways that could be seen crisscrossing the entirety of the village. 'We were told in class about the secret passages for wartime use, but I never imagined they were this extensive…' Clutching the handrail at her side, the girl moved herself through the compound, trying to keep her eyes moving in case of attack.

Every time Sakura turned to take in her direction, all that would be left was peering black depths, leading away into nothingness. A single path was lit up, a trail of lights leading away from the hall. Following it, the girl found herself in the market district of the village, in the back of a stall. Letting herself out quietly, the girl fled to a nearby training field, where she lowered herself onto the grass and began to cry.

Sakura was unsure how long she stayed out there, but a pair of feet landed softly nearby. Drawing her hands to her whips, Sakura turned and faced her tormentor, rage and anger in her eyes. When she did, she noticed it was Neji, and felt her anger abate quickly. Embarrassment soon followed, and the girl turned away harshly from him.

"What do you want, Neji? Can't you see I want to be alone right now?" Sakura's voice was full of venom, and her arms shook in false anger. 'Please let him leave…I can't have him see me like this…so weak, so unable…'

"That look of rage moments ago seemed like you were interested in a spar. And while I cannot hazard a guess as to the reason for your anger, I can provide a sparring partner for you to get said anger out through." Sakura chuckled and flexed her hands over her whips.

"If you're volunteering to be my punching bag, then by all means, go ahead. But I'm not going to hold back." Sakura felt her muscles tense, and her jaw flex responsively. Her head was pounding again, with the voices screaming at her for action.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. It's been a while since we sparred, it will be nice to see what new moves Kakashi has taught you…" Neji activated his Byakugan, waiting for the girl's reaction.

"Don't say I didn't warn you…" Sakura was gone in a blur, her form disappearing in the Shunshin. Her blood sang for once as she entered into battle, the normal pressure of being cold and calculating gladly removed. She came at him with both whips at first, the snakehide cracking out to attempt and wrap around his limb, before the chain whip came in to deliver cutting slashes.

'She's more aggressive than normal…this is not good…' Neji fluidly dodged her strikes, her movements easy to read but hard to keep up with. The prodigy for the first time felt sweat bead at his temples while training with Sakura. 'She might actually hit me at this rate…'

Suddenly Sakura backed off, and Neji paused in bewilderment. He quickly felt his pulse spike yet again as a thick mist rolled over the area, and he heard the tell-tale signs of rocks shifting underneath him.

'This mist is thickened with Chakra…though I can see through it, it takes additional effort and is quite difficult to maintain…on top of that, I can't distract myself from looking at the mist to tell if she is launching an underground attack…' Neji dodged to the side suddenly, instinct screaming at him as hands reached up from the earth, attempting to snare him.

He struck out at Sakura with his heavenly palm, hoping to hit her hard enough to end the match. The girl merely smiled at him as she disappeared into a substitution. Seconds later, Neji felt cold steel wrap around his neck, a chain making its way around his body.

"I surrender." Neji gulped nervously as he felt Sakura behind him, her lithe body and frame for once distracting the teenage boy. He noted all the spots where there hips met, and her heavy breathing forced her chest against his in repetitive and enticing motion.

"Oh, I don't think so, Neji. You said you'd be my punching bag, and yet I haven't hit anything yet…" Sakura nailed Neji with a hard jab to the kidney before shoving him away. She disappeared back into the mist, leaving Neji coughing on the ground.

Voices screamed in Sakura's head to go further, to eliminate the inferior male, and search for a proper mate. Sakura screamed them down, shutting out the influence as much as she could.

"What the hell was that, Sakura? That was hardly a practice punch…" Neji coughed on the sidelines, trying to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry! I don't know what came over me, I'm sorry!" The voice that came back was weak and frail, and Neji felt his head spin at the change in tone. The mist began to clear, and he suddenly found Sakura sitting on the ground, her whips at her side and her head held in her hands. Pain filtered across the girl's face, and Neji could swear he heard whimpers coming from her.

"What's going on?" Neji's voice was low, and full of concern.

"I don't know…something's happening with me, some sort of weird stuff that's messing with my head…" Sakura clutched her head tighter, trying to fight off the pain.

"Are you seeing anyone for it? Mental injuries are common, especially considering you had your first kill recently…" Sakura's eyes snapped up to Neji with betrayal in them.

"Who told you?" Her hands suddenly were fisted in Neji's shirt, pulling the poor boy even with her enraged face.

"Kakashi told Guy, and Guy told us…he said that everyone on your team made their first kill, and you and Naruto had to go through the most…" Memories of what happened to Naruto flooded back to Sakura, and the girl felt her rage diminish significantly.

"Yeah…that's true. Sasuke got the tough enemies, whereas Naruto and I just got the fodder…" Neji gulped nervously from his raised perch, and Sakura blushed heavily before setting him down next to her.

"Were you out looking for me then?" Neji smiled, but shook his head sadly.

"I was in the market district shopping for the main branch." Venom had crept into the last words, and Sakura felt her eyes focus in on Neji. "I noticed you come out of one of the market stalls, and I was excited to see you again." Sakura blushed prettily at that, and Neji flushed a light bit as well.

"So, you missed beating me in sparring matches that much, huh?" Sakura giggled, trying to get a rise out of Neji.

"Maybe. More your company, and camaraderie than anything else though…" Sakura flushed at that, and moved her hand closer to his in the grass.

"Can't get that from the people on your team?" Neji scoffed lightly at that, making Sakura blink in surprise.

"Lee's an idiot that always challenges me to pointless spars, and Tenten is more focused on gathering new weapons than actually training. I prefer sitting with you, and trying myself against your interesting styles." Sakura blushed again, but said nothing to break the moment.

"I do have a question though…" His simple statement made Sakura bring her guard up. "…there, on the inside of your mouth, is a seal. What is it for?" Sakura shrank back from Neji.

"I can't tell you…All I can say is that someone is helping me control my emotions and that I need this training because I've apparently developed a rare and dangerous bloodline…" Neji felt his eyes widen at this, before narrowing slightly.

"But you've mentioned before that your parents are not from any prominent clan…how could you 'develop' a bloodline?" Sakura fidgeted in front of Neji, fighting to make the words come out.

"I'm adopted." Neji blinked once or twice, but then smiled and chuckled in acceptance.

"Being adopted is nothing to be embarrassed about Sakura, many kids were after the Kyuubi attack." Mention of the attack had Sakura again thinking of Naruto, and the seal he had to bear.

"Besides, you having a seal is something we share now…" Neji removed his headband as he faced Sakura, and in the evening light, Sakura could make out a strange, glowing green pattern on the boy's forehead. "I bear the seal of the caged bird, bonding me in loyalty to the main family. I can't escape this bond, no matter what I do, and will bear it until I die. Thus is the burden of the branch family members of the Hyuuga."

Sakura stepped forward, tears in her eyes. She began to trace the symbol of the seal, and Neji found himself shuddering under the sensation of touch. "I understand why you are so stoic then…you never were given a chance to escape…" Neji pulled Sakura close as she began to cry.

"I left my parents today. I've a new place to stay thanks to the money from the mission." Sakura wound her hand into his, pulling Neji closer to her. "Will you walk me home? Even to a kunoichi, the market district is scary at night…" Neji highly doubted that, but didn't argue as he pulled her along.

xXxXxXx

Naruto felt his mind being pulled back to his body, and when he awoke he was lying in the floor of the Yamanaka counseling room.

"Welcome back sleepyhead, you took longer than expected to wake up." Naruto blinked his eyes open as he lay on the floor, taking in the vertical image of Ino making tea. She was dressed in her normal purple attire, with her hair back in a ponytail, with the flower shop apron around her waist. "Not sure how Daddy managed it, but you went through another transformation thanks to his session." Naruto bolted upright at that, and flashed eager eyes toward Ino.

"You mean it! He got me to look less scary!" Naruto's voice was as bright as ever, and Ino rolled her eyes at the boy's actions.

"Yeah, he fixed you right up. Look here!" Ino pulled a mirror up and Naruto suddenly took in his altered appearance. His eyes were still ringed by the black markings, though they were heavily faded, and the slit appearance was gone completely. In addition, his whisker markings were fading back to a more normal appearance, and his fangs had shortened to normal length. He noted idly that he still had his claws though, which was somewhat troubling.

'Guess I can't expect everything to go my way…' Naruto shook such thoughts off as he smelled the scent of food and tea and his stomach growled appreciatively.

"Sorry about that…" Naruto chuckled while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Tsume had beat manners into Naruto over the years, especially concerning how to act in front of women.

"Don't worry about it. I'd probably be hungry too if I had slept for two whole days." Ino grinned at Naruto, and the boy felt his jaw go slack as he took the tray from the girl.

"Two whole days! But that means that the council meeting is today! Oh man, what time is it, I have to get ready!" Ino hauled sharply on Naruto's hand as he tried to bolt out the door.

"Relax knucklehead! Your mom brought over stuff for you to change into, as Daddy said it would be bad to move you after a session! Now sit and eat, we have to hurry if you're going to make it in time!" Naruto blinked for a second or two, but then nodded and lowered himself to his seat on the floor.

"What about the others? Did Sasuke and Sakura come to check up on me? Or Kakashi-sensei, or Kiba?" Ino shoved food into Naruto's mouth to halt the questions from flowing at her.

"To start with, Sasuke and Sakura both stopped by for short periods, though no longer than a few minutes to sit and discuss what happened with my Dad. Kakashi stopped by with some weird old dude with long white hair and stayed for a while to discuss council things with my Dad. Kiba however, did stop by with his team, and they ended up staying awhile when Hinata fainted after seeing you on the ground." Naruto blinked at that, and frowned a little.

"Why is she still acting weird around me?" Naruto asked through a bite full of toast. Ino leaned over and flicked him in the head, making the blonde reach up and rub his scalp in protest.

"If you don't know yet, I'm not telling you. You have to figure that out on your own." Ino turned and took a few bites of food, silencing the conversation. Naruto, still mindful of getting flicked in the forehead again, paused to finish his current bite of food.

"Why are you being so nice to me then? If I remember correctly, you were always chasing after both Sasuke and me back in the academy…still harboring that childhood crush, Ino-chan?" Naruto's teasing voice caught the girl off guard, and she coughed for a second before swallowing her current bite of food.

"As if! Sasuke's nice and all, and you definitely are a cutie Naruto," Ino drawled, getting Naruto to blush in response, "but I have a certain teammate that I'm much more interested in these days…" Naruto felt his mouth fall open, but he shut it with a sudden snap.

"No way…poor Shika, I feel for the dude…" Ino threw a sausage at Naruto this time, hitting him square in the nose as he shook his head.

"I also didn't finish telling you all of your visitors…" Ino purred, cutting off Naruto's reaction in an instant. Naruto seemed to grumble a bit, before he rolled his hands in a continuing gesture.

"You had a visit from a Tenten Aoyama…never knew you were into the older girls, Naruto." Ino had a face of the cat that ate the canary, and Naruto's growing blush told her she had struck gold.

"She stopped by to see me? But why? I mean, we're just friends, you know?" Naruto's quick stammering only made Ino's smile grow bigger.

"She seemed awfully worried about you, and even grabbed your hand while you were sleeping…It was really quite cute." Naruto stammered for a moment or two before the sound of footsteps were heard approaching the room.

"Good morning, Daddy!" Ino called out, standing up to greet her dad at the doorway as he walked into the counseling room.

"Morning to you too, princess…Glad to see our house guest is up." Inoichi smiled down at Naruto, before reaching down a hand to help the boy up.

"Thank you sir, for everything." Inoichi waved Naruto off and motioned him to follow after him.

"Come on, time for that later. We need to get you ready for the meeting…" Inoichi pulled the boy into a changing room and tossed some clothes at him. "Now remember, you are not to say anything unless directly spoken to...and whatever you do, if the Daimyo takes an interest in you, say nothing in response. The Fire Daimyo is known for picking young idiots out to be the tragic hero's in our nations stories...he loves to kill off those with spunk in his ninja villages by giving them impossible tasks..." Naruto blanched at this, staring wide at the Yamanaka clan head.

"Has anyone ever managed to complete one of those crazy tasks?" Naruto spluttered, rushing to get the formal robes sorted.

"Only once, and that was the man they made the Fourth Hokage."

xXxXxXx

"The meeting's about to start Tsume, are you sure you want to go through with this?" Jiraiya looked over the crowd of assembling councilmen worriedly. There were additional ninja in the rafters, and most of them were wearing standard work garb. The council were all dressed in formal kimono's, and though Jiraiya could have opted for that as well, he preferred his informal outfit any day.

"Yes, I'm sure. It's the best option that keeps Naruto in the Inuzuka. We just have to see if we can convince enough council members to vote in his favor." Tsume bit nervously at her lip, showing the first signs of worry. She was dressed in a purple kimono, flowers forming over several spots here and there, and wolves and moons adding a further motif. Her hair was well done for once and was back and out of the way.

"It would be simpler to just do it the Hokage's way…only need three votes for that. Your way we need six, and that's a stretch to pull together." Jiraiya counted off the yes votes, and the no votes in his head, sighing as he did.

"We have the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, according to what I've heard, as well as the Sarutobi and the Inuzuka…we just need one more to fold to our side." Tsume worried at her sleeves as more people began to enter the room.

"That's if we don't have any votes against, which I can assure that Danzo will…If he's corrupted sensei's old teammates, then we have three votes to overcome. We need a miracle for this plan, that's what we need." Jiraiya snorted as he stepped back and away from the wall, moving towards his designated seat. "Come on, this charade is about to start. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can all go home, one way or another."

xXxXxXx

Kakashi sweated from his spot in the Jounin booth. Though his record was high with many Jounin in the village, there had still been considerable resistance in winning Naruto to his side. 'Three days didn't give me much to work with, and the fox has a legendary reputation…many were annoyed that the presence of such a power had been kept secret over the years…' If it came down to a Jounin vote, he was unsure if things would work out positively. Sighing, and accepting that the time had come, the cyclops moved down to the council floor.

Watching the doors open as he did, he saw Sakura and Sasuke walk in together. Sasuke seemed to be dressed in the normal council attire, yet something seemed different about his posture. Moving towards a council seat, Kakashi realized that upon his becoming a genin, Sasuke had regained his position on the Council of Fire, if not on the ordinary village council. 'Guess that mean the Uchiha are back in the council politics…that will make future things interesting…judging from his posture and formal robes, he means to make good on the position.' Seeing Sakura approach the center of the room, Kakashi leapt down from the jounin booth to the council floor.

Sakura came and stood next to Kakashi, and she too seemed changed. Kakashi noted a withdrawn air about her, but shook off such thoughts as the members began to settle in. Moments later, he heard the doors opened and gaped at who entered into the room.

xXxXxXx

Naruto surveyed the room as he entered, his blonde hair restrained by his headband, and his eyes more piercing blue than ever with his new facial markings. For the formal meeting, his mother had sent robes of white with red flames coating the edges, and the tan skin of Naruto made the outfit stand out better than any other in the room.

The room was vastly different than Naruto had ever been in, with a large raised half-moon table for seated dignitaries. In the wings behind each clan stood servants holding large palanquins, each one for a village-sponsoring noble of prominence. High above, like birds on a tree, sat a number of the Jounin and select Chuunin of the village, their eyes cold and indifferent as they watched the proceedings below.

As Naruto came to stand next to Kakashi, Kakashi felt like he was looking at a younger version of his sensei. So focused and controlled was the image that Kakashi felt his hopes buoy slightly at the boy's presence.

The Third Hokage's gavel sounded resolutely around the room as the meeting began. Standing as one, the council looked down upon Kakashi and two of his charges. Sasuke's position among the judicators did little to lessen their worry, as his stony face seemed more impassive than ever.

"We are called today to hear on several matters of state. These are, in order, the establishment of the ambassadors for the treaty with the new nation state, Tsunami, the public revelation of a classified secret that has been improperly divulged to foreign states, and the determination of appropriate action for the crimes that led to such a divulgence." For the first time in Naruto's life, the old man that led the village sounded powerful, his voice commanding and resolute. His plain white and red robes of office carried import, and his gravely tone shook the young boy to his core.

"In missives we have received from the former Land of Waves, now known as Tsunami, it was listed that the brave actions of Haruno Sakura and Hatake Kakashi were considered the most valiant. As such, they have been asked to become the ambassadors for missions concerning diplomacy with Tsunami. All in favor of this agreement, state 'Aye', all opposed, 'Nay'." The gavel pounded once on the seat council and a resounding chorus of 'Aye' went around the room.

"With that, Sakura Haruno, you are no longer needed for the proceedings here and are asked to leave." The tone of the Hokage brooked no disagreement. "Kakashi, please join the other Jonin in their section if you would." Naruto's two team members bowed low, and Naruto suddenly found himself facing the council on his own.

"Our next order of business is giving a public revelation of a classified secret that was improperly divulged in states of battle to foreign shinobi. The classified secret in question is that of the identity of the Jinchuuriki of Konoha." Several outcries came from the Jonin section, and various nobles had shocked reactions.

"During the midst of battle against foreign trained mercenaries, Naruto Inuzuka, rightfully of the Namikaze and Uzumaki clans, did unleash the power of the Nine Tailed Demon Fox, Kyuubi." Outcries began to take over the crowd, some nobles crying for explanation, and others voicing disbelief.

"QUIET! You are in the presence of the nobles of the Land of Fire, as well as the Hokage himself. Show some decorum!" Danzo's voice rang out over the crowd, silencing vast swaths of the unruly mob. The man was dressed in a plain brown robe, and held no motifs whatsoever. Naruto read the name plate in front of the man's seat, and blinked as he realized he knew nothing of the man in front of him.

"Lord Hokage, why was the Council of Fire not informed of the child's status before now?" A refined voice came from a man whose face was hidden by a fan. Naruto narrowed in on the man's face as he talked, covered in light makeup and hiding his true appearance with veils of silk draped across a raised palanquin.

"The late Fourth Hokage issued missives that the boy was not to have his identity revealed to any due to concerns that it could lead to him becoming the village pariah. Furthermore, the Fourth was concerned that connections to his lineage would cause a high bounty to fall on the boy's head, making him increasingly attractive for high powered assassination attempts." Grumbles went throughout the crowd as the reasoning was discussed among the masses.

"In light of the boy's lineage, what punishment can we bestow upon him? He is the rightful heir of two clans should he choose to claim then, and he is also the village Jinchuuriki…such instances as this one are usually brushed aside in those cases, are they not?" Shibi Aburame spoke from his position on the council drawing many eyes toward him. The clan head in question had a green robe with forest motifs spread across the outfit. His eyes were hidden behind glasses, and his face hidden by an unusually high collar.

"Regardless of that, the report would seem to indicate that the boy lost control of his Bijuu during the confrontation with the foreign enemies. If such is the case, there is precedence for the removal of the Bijuu from the host container." Naruto stepped forward at Danzo's comment, but his voice died in his throat when Inoichi stood up to face the council. The Yamanaka was wearing a purple robe, with clouds and chains littered across the silk in blurring patterns.

"The boy did lose control during that time, but not full control. He was still fighting against the Bijuu's influence, and had he been given proper training in the past, he would have managed to restrain the influence of the Kyuubi in my opinion." Inoichi's voice drew shocked reactions from much of the council.

"The boy did not receive training in the handling of his Bijuu before now, Hiruzen?" A soft spoken voice came from the rear of the room, and Naruto craned to make out the noble who sat in the rarefied position.

"It was not allowed by clan tradition, Daimyo. He was fully adopted into the Inuzuka clan, and even now legally bears the clan name. As such, it will take at least a three clan vote to separate him from his clan." The Daimyo, for he could not be seen from his current position seemed to huff lightly at that, almost as if he had smelled something foul.

"What is the opinion on the seals strength according to Jiraiya?" The Daimyo's voice seemed to quiet the entire hall as faces turned to swivel toward the towering old man Naruto had met in the Hokage's office.

"After recent work accomplished by Inoichi, the seal has stabilized completely. It is as sound as ever. Unless Naruto specifically begins in training to bring the fox out for fighting purposes, the seal will hold indefinitely. Even if he were to do so, the Fourth left behind a seal key that I have guarded away that can strengthen the seal, allowing him to draw even the full fox's power out without trouble." Murmurs went around the crowd, until a man in a white robe with brown hair stood up to address the crowd.

"Do you really believe that the boy can contain the power of the demon fox, Lord Jiraiya?" The man's voice brooked no contempt, just plain curiosity, and Naruto quickly recognized him as a relative of Neji or Hinata. Naruto smiled slightly, as things seemed to be going in his direction at the moment.

"Yes. Someday, this kid in front of you will be able to wield the demon fox with full control." Jiraiya's confident tone had many of the Jounin agreeing with the idea, and some looking positively upon him. "He is the living reincarnation of the Fourth, and under my future tutelage, he will be a powerhouse of the village."

"You plan to train him, Lord Jiraiya? I had heard he was under Kakashi's tutelage…I do so hate it when my favorites fight…" The Daimyo's voice was pitched in a threatening manner, seeming to egg one of the two into talking.

"I am fully aware of Jiraiya's intention to train Naruto, and have agreed to hand him over for tutelage under the sage once the coming Chunnin exams have concluded." Kakashi's calm voice filtered into the room, and the Daimyo seemed to chuckle with appreciation.

"Very well then…the boy has at least my blessing for continuing his ninja career. If the village wants my continued support, I would suggest charges against the boy be dropped." Grumbles of dissent ran through the ninja council, but Naruto noticed that in general the council was swaying to his side.

"In that case, I suggest we move on to the next item of business…the reestablishment of the Namikaze and Uzumaki clan, and their status at large." Tsume rose her head at this, and Naruto felt his stomach sink.

"Lord Hokage, I would actually petition that Naruto remain under the name Inuzuka and become the representative of the Uzumaki and Namikaze clans." Naruto felt his eyes bug out as he stared at the smiling look of Tsume. Her eyes glinted down happily towards him, and Naruto felt a small twitch of a grin in return.

"There is a precedence for this…" Shikaku Nara called out, and pulled out a large scroll, "…several prior cases, in fact. All it needs is a total of six clan votes to approve." The Hokage looked over to the Nara Clan head questioningly. "We currently have five votes in favor of this, with Sarutobi Asuma's agreement adding to the Ino-Shika-Cho, and the Inuzuka…" Danzo's face contorted at that, a sour look seeming to cross his face.

"The Hyuuga will also agree to this, as it would not shift the village balance of power." Hiashi gazed fairly at Naruto, eyes regarding him with calculating curiosity. Naruto managed the barest of nods in the Hyuuga's direction, and the man seemed to smile slightly in return.

"As will the Aburame." Shibi nodded towards the boy, who glanced at his dark shades questioningly. "Your clan brother has gained the trust of my son, and as such, I pass such trust on to you in kind." Naruto smiled in appreciation, and bowed low to the man.

"We stand against this measure!" Danzo and the civilian member stood in unison, his voice resolute. "Don't you see? If we allow the boy to remain a part of the village, he will never receive the proper training he needs to control the fox?" Danzo's voice was gravely and grave, but none of the clan heads turned to listen to the man.

"The Uchiha stand in agreement with the Inuzuka clan's proposal." Sasuke's voice carried over the crowd, and eyes turned to the Hokage's advisors.

"We abstain from this vote, and ask the Jounin of the village to decide the boy's fate." The two elders spoke in unison, and Naruto felt his stomach sink as he looked to the rafters above where the ninja sat.

"The Jounin have decided. We will vote in favor of Naruto Inuzuka." Murmurs of discussion went around the room at this, and Danzo's face seemed to tighten in revolt to the planned measures.

"Naruto, what is your opinion in this matter? Do you wish to remain an Inuzuka, or take on your family names?" Naruto blinked up at the Hokage, and smiled widely.

"I've only ever known being an Inuzuka, Lord Hokage. I think I would like to continue as such." The Hokage smiled down at the boy, nodding to him in respect.

"In that case, on this day, Inuzuka Naruto becomes the representative of the Uzumaki and Namikaze clan, until such a time as actual members of the family can be brought to take your seat on the council. Your voting abilities will be non-existent, save for those measures that would directly relate to your clan if you ever become clan head. You will be allowed the ability to appoint a surrogate representative if, for any reason, you are called on extended leave from duty. With that, we end today's meeting. Thank you all for coming, and please, feel free to stay and discuss other issues as you see fit among the members present." Grumbles came from Danzo's position, and several nobles seemed to be talking animatedly with the elder.

Naruto ran up to his mother as the council members were leaving, the two of them embracing.

"I told you what family means, remember, Naruto? Family doesn't turn its back on each other…" Tsume held her son close, glad to have him in her arms once more.

"I…I still am going to need to live apart from the clan for a while though…" Naruto said his voice low and directed downward.

"Don't worry too much about that kid. Your mom and I worked out a deal for the two of us to shack up together, at least until you have your hairball problem under control." Jiraiya came up behind Naruto, ruffling the kid's hair as he did. Naruto smiled at that, and leaned over and suddenly hugged Jiraiya.

"Woah, easy there, easy…You're going to be alright, Naruto…" Jiraiya hugged the kid close, and patted his hair once or twice before pushing him away. "Now come on, we have to celebrate and then get you moved in!" Tsume nodded towards Naruto to go off with Jiraiya, turning to talk to Nara Shikaku.

xXxXxXx

"Danzo, a moment if you will…" Danzo turned as Hiruzen approached him. Though he had tried to make it out of the meeting hall as fast as possible, his old teammate managed to catch up in the crowd.

"Ah, you're probably after Haruno's agreement slip. I have it here. She agreed last night to the training, voluntarily." Hiruzen frowned at the signature, but it seemed legitimate.

"I'll have it checked over as soon as possible for signs of forgery or coercion." Danzo nodded, agreeing readily to the Hokage's suggestion.

"But in the meantime, I will start her training. I will have her master her abilities, of that have no doubt, Hiruzen…" The Hokage nodded, and was quickly called away by a noble. As he turned to confront Danzo once more he noted that the man had disappeared.

'It's a pain working with ninja some days…'

xXxXxXx

Alright, there it is ladies and gentleman! Sorry for the untimely wait, as I said above, there were exams and such that kept holding me back. However, got this to you inside of two days of starting it, so I feel pretty good about that! Let me know what you all think, and I'll make sure to send shout out's to the frequent reviewers. Quick tags for some of the recent ones…

Justin the constant reviewer: You blew through the fic man! It excites me to see someone so interested though, so thanks for the comments. Also, yeah, that plot points a killer. And yes, Danzo was supposed to get willing permission. Which he did…eventually.

KyuubiGohan: You also lighted through this thing, and yeah, Sasuke really isn't going to stop being an ass. Kind of part of his character, and makes him a good foil. Sorry, but need him the way he is. Trying to get him to the loveable ass status though, that takes time though.

Fanwoman: Your comments are really nice, and actually got me to read back over the fic for certain moments, thanks for checking in! Much appreciated!

Orachmus: Had you up to chapter six man, what happened? It's all good though, I like your comments, and want to thank you without spoiling the next couple of chapters for you. Also, I hear what you're saying on the muscle memory, but that depends on physical nerves, which would mean the sensations of getting hurt would also be transferred. Sorry, but since Naruto never doubled over in reeling agony from shadow-clone death, not seeing it.

Well, that's about all I've got for now, going to give it a read over and throw it up online. Man is it good to be back! As always, Read and Review!

(Additional note: the MA thing from Fanfiction is a load of hogswallop I say. I state this because, the Naruto community has over ten percent of its fan base devoted to lemon scenes. If that is the case for almost all their genres, they are going to lose at least a ten percent fan base, which is damned huge! No way they are dumb enough to do that, don't buy it for a minute…)


	12. Chapter 12: Young Dog, New Tricks

couple shout outs to start with, and a hope that a lot of the old crowd is still around...on Naruto's facial looks, basically give him dark rings around his eyes now, similar to Gaara's, but in a fox's shape instead. He also has claws. Not too unusual for an Inuzuka, so I doubt few will notice in the village for a while. There will also be many relationships developing in the next few chapters. This one lays groundwork, more come during exams, and a lot of the future twists will be placed now. But, you can read those, so I'll stop here.

Here we go! I own nothing but the original stuff!

xXxXxXx

"So, an ambassador to a foreign country now, huh? You're starting to become interesting." Sasuke smiled haughtily down at Sakura, who frowned a bit at his comment before shrugging her shoulders.

"What can I say, I hang out with powerful people, and before I know it I start becoming one. I complete S-Rank missions as a genin, and we end up in a civil war…" Sasuke smirked wider at her statement, and chuckled lightly to himself.

"Yeah, you just might make a useful teammate at this rate." Sasuke turned away as Sakura's ire started to rise, smiling to himself. As he did, he noticed Kakashi and Naruto approaching. Naruto had a huge grin on his face, and Sasuke was relieved to see that the fangs he sported earlier had faded as well.

Kakashi seemed to be talking animatedly to Jiraiya, and a look of distress was coming over the scarecrow ninja's face. Sasuke strained to catch as much of the conversation as he could.

"So, Danzo is taking Sakura under his wing, and you're taking Naruto after the Chuunin Exams…" Sasuke felt his eyes go a bit wide at that, but smirked lightly to himself.

'Guess that means I get some one-on-one training with an assassination expert like Kakashi…nice.'

"Hey, don't worry about it Kakashi, you'll still see the kids from time to time. Now come on, you're buying dinner for us right?" Kakashi blinked in surprise at Jiraiya, confusion written across his face.

"But you're the senior here, you should be treating, shouldn't you?" Jiraiya shook his head ruefully and clucked his tongue in disagreement.

"No, you're the senior Kakashi, I've only just started training Naruto…besides, I thought you'd think of yourself as my equal these days, so there's nothing to worry about!" Naruto and Sakura both laughed a bit at that, smiles coming out across their faces.

'That was a good trick he pulled there…' Sasuke grinned at the old man, smiling lightly. '…he definitely has the aura of someone powerful, and Naruto's going to train with him…I'll really have to push to keep up…' Sasuke felt a trickle of nervousness enter his system, getting a slight jitter from his hands.

"Hey, Sasuke, I was worried you were going to give me the chop up there, you know?" Sasuke shook his head, and nodded to Naruto.

"It was slightly tempting, I'll admit. My eardrums would be a lot happier if I did." Sasuke gave Naruto a slight smirk, and the blonde gave a large smile in return, clasping his hands behind his head. 'Guess he's mostly back to normal…that's good, I can trust him with my back for now.'

"Hey, hey, since it was my big hearing, how about we go out for Ramen? I know this really great place that Iruka-sensei introduced me to!" Jiraiya and Kakashi both perked up at the suggestion, but shrugged and agreed.

Sakura didn't seem to voice any objections, and Sasuke sighed to himself slightly. 'Idiot escapes a possible execution, and he wants to eat the cheapest meal there is in the world…my rival is strange…'

xXxXxXx

Sakura trailed behind the group slightly, looking over their boisterous faces with some slight envy. 'Not supposed to show emotions, that's one thing that Danzo keeps reminding me of…' The girl winced slightly from some small bruises left in various places. The physical training the last few days had really started to wear on her a bit.

'Still, now that the council meeting is over, and we can go back to missions, I'll see a little less of him for a while…' Sakura took that to heart, hoping for a chance to return to training with Neji in the evenings.

"Sakura, you're really quiet back there! You sure you want to go out for ramen? They might have some other foods there, so you don't have to get ramen if you don't want!" Naruto's bright and energetic voice cut through the girl's thoughts, pulling her back to the present.

"No, it's fine Naruto. Ramen will be fine. I'm just a bit tired, is all. I've been training hard the last few days, hoping to keep up with you two." Naruto smiled at that, and gave her a quick thumbs up.

'Hoping to survive keeping pace with the two of you as well…' Sakura winced again as she walked briskly to keep pace with the group, and noticed Sasuke's eyes fall on her. Shaking her head slightly, the raven-haired boy sighed, and mouthed 'later' to her. She nodded at that, and the two fell into companionable silence as they headed to the eatery.

xXxXxXx

"So, what sort of super cool training are you going to be giving me, Jiraiya? Huh, huh?" Naruto was practically brimming with energy, as he bounced around at the front of the group. Jiraiya merely sighed, and bopped the idiot on the head.

"Relax, idiot. I'll get to your training bright and early tomorrow morning, though I suspect you'll be fairly busy for the rest of the week. With luck, you'll have the main technique started by then, but it'll take years for you to master." Naruto blinked owlishly at the large hermit, rubbing his head from the impact.

"What are you going to be teaching him? I'm trying to keep the team balanced, but it seems they are all getting pulled in various directions." Kakashi's voice had a tone of melancholy in it to Naruto's ear, and he scratched at his head in puzzlement.

"What do you mean, Kakashi-sensei? I'll be training with Jiraiya, but what'll the others be doing?" Kakashi smiled at Naruto and pulled out his favorite book as the group meandered towards the ramen stand.

"Well, you see, Sakura's been taken in for training with her bloodline apparently…though I don't entirely approve of the teacher," Jiraiya interrupted Kakashi's statement with an aggressive snort of agreement, "She is going to be receiving training from one of the village elites, specifically in mid-range capture and poison techniques." Naruto frowned at that, trying to remember Sakura's bloodline, then felt his eyes go wide.

"You mean, she'll be learning how to help control my powers if they act up again, right?" Naruto's voice was much quieter suddenly, and Jiraiya turned a questioning eye towards Kakashi. Kakashi nodded to Naruto, giving him a quick eye smile.

"Yes, she'll be working with Danzo to master her abilities. Meanwhile, you'll be apprenticed to Jiraiya and will likely develop into a general combat specialist, perfect for taking on large numbers of average opponents. Sasuke will work with me to develop into a powerful assassination expert, learning many techniques from me, as well as developing other chakra releases." Naruto seemed to begin brimming with energy from the descriptions.

"Oh man, we are going to be so totally awesome! With teammates like that, there's no way I don't make Hokage quickly!" Jiraiya laughed at that, and smiled wickedly down at the kid.

"Well, if that's how you feel blockhead, I'll be glad to have you get up extra early for some sparring with me…these old bones of mine could use an exercise in the morning.." Jiraiya's tone held a great amount of mischief and promised pain, making Naruto gulp heavily.

"Oh look, we're here! Guess I'll have to talk to you more about that early wake up later, huh?" Naruto quickly ducked inside the ramen stand. Before the others could chase after though, he came flying out and was suddenly pinned to the ground.

"What's this I hear about you skipping out of the clan already?!" Kiba had Naruto fixed in a playful headlock as the two boys wrestled on the ground.

"OI! Let go Kiba! I just need to go away for a while alright, there's important stuff that's happened!" Kiba snorted and squeezed the headlock tighter.

"Important huh? That's the same thing mom said…what are you two keeping from me, huh? And why the hell is your hair blonde?" Naruto managed to duck his hips a little bit, and suddenly slip out of the hold.

"You ask me that now? Jeez, you're slow on the uptake!" Kiba growled and Akamaru yipped loudly from inside the ramen stand.

"Kiba, come back to the group, the ramen's arrived!" Hinata's voice drifted in from the ramen area, making both boys turn and look at the approaching girl. Her pale face and eyes were closed in a momentary smile as she exited the stand, though her face began to turn bright red upon seeing Naruto.

"Coming Hinata!" Kiba turned back and glared harshly at Naruto, "we'll finish this after the meal, alright?" Naruto nodded to his brother and smiled a bit.

Kakashi and the others had caught up by then, and Sasuke gave him a once over quickly.

"Did that idiot brother of yours really get the drop on you?" Naruto shook his head, making Sasuke scoff slightly in amusement. "Figures…you always were the type to let others ruff you up when you felt like you deserved it…" Naruto smiled slightly and shook his head at Sasuke.

Jiraiya waved the group over to a table, but not long after everyone had settled in for the meal, there came a loud cry from the stand entrance.

"KAKASHI! I SEE YOU AND YOUR YOUTHFUL CHARGES ARE IN NEED OF SOME CELEBRATORY FRIENDS!" Guy came quickly out of nowhere, bounding into the stand and rushing up to stand leeringly over Kakashi.

"No, I think we're pretty alright for friends here, Guy. You could join us though, if you're willing to pay?" Guy frowned for a second, before lighting up his face with a gigantic smile.

"It's your turn for a challenge, so how about we bet on the results of it…winner has to pay for the dinner!" Kakashi shrugged, and suddenly felt the eyes of his team fall on him expectantly.

"We've never seen you two challenge each other, what do you do?" Naruto's voice was bright and inquisitive, and the other two were looking up from their menu's intently at the man.

Kakashi sighed, and gave Guy a brief disapproving glare. "While Guy likes to have intense physical competitions between us, I prefer a friendlier game…Ready Gai?" Guy nodded quickly, and the two jonin formed a fist behind their backs.

"One…Two…" Jiraiya even looked up from his menu expectantly, noticing a sudden nervous feeling in the air…

"THREE!" Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura felt their jaws hit the floor, as they realized that two powerful jonin of the village had a running contest of rock paper scissors…

"Well, you win that round, my eternal rival! I guess the meal is on me…" Guy sighed, forming his defeated hand of scissors back to normal.

"GUY-SENSEI! We've arrived!" The rest of the group turned to see a green-clad miniature version of Guy come leaping through the doorway.

"Lee! What've I told you about yelling in public!" Guy grabbed the boy by the scruff of his outfit and delivered a powerful punch to the boy's face. Jiraiya felt his eyes bug out as he watched the two of them, though no one else seemed to have noticed.

"Holy crap! Is that a clone? Guy, cloning's illegal in the village! And why are you beating him up so much?" Jiraiya's outraged voice broke through an apology sequence the two had been starting up, much to everyone's relief.

"Haha, no, Lord Jiraiya, Lee is my very own apprentice, heir to the Strong Fist style of Konoha! Ah, and here are my other two teammates." Jiraiya looked up with fear in his eyes, but relaxed when two 'normal' shinobi walked into the stand. At least, he relaxed at first until the girl with two buns in her hair and a Chinese dress started staring at him with wide, crazed eyes.

"Lord Jiraiya! That's who you were! I remember you now, oh my god, I'm the biggest fan of your seal work, can you help with my training while you're here, please, please, please!" Jiraiya blanched a bit as he looked the girl over, smiling with some strain in his voice.

"Woah, woah, hold on there, you already are training under Might Guy, one of the best of the best in the village, why would you want to work with me, huh?" Tenten blushed for a second, recovering herself and looking seriously embarrassed.

"Sorry, I just really look up to the Sannin, and since I'm no good at medical jutsu, I wanted to learn sealing as Orochimaru's area of interests are kind of…weird." Jiraiya nodded at that, and smiled at having a fan.

"Hey, Tenten could train with us in the mornings, right? She and I have been doing that since I started being a ninja!" Jiraiya blinked in surprise at Naruto, and noticed the girl's flush and further embarrassment at that.

'Oh ho! The brat has a girl that's interested in him too…well, as his godfather, it's my duty to make sure he's happy in life and has a companion or two along the way…' Jiraiya smiled suddenly, and sighed and shook his head sadly.

"Sorry Guy, but if she shows some promise, I'd like to ask to train her in seal work…seal masters are relatively rare, even in Konoha, so maybe it'd be good if she developed there as well." Guy seemed torn for a second, but nodded.

"After the Chuunin exams, you can work with her. Until then, I want to make sure my team's dynamics are topnotch, so new material really can't be introduced last minute." Jiraiya nodded at that, and turned to pick up a menu.

"Well, you heard him girl, after you're done with the upcoming exams, you can work with me and the shrimp here on sealing." Tenten smiled really widely suddenly and lunged and hugged Jiraiya in a surprise hug. Jiraiya brushed her off good naturedly to find Naruto glaring at him.

"What's with all the verbal abuse, huh? Shrimp, blockhead, idiot? Beginning to think you don't actually like me…" Jiraiya laughed at Naruto and scruffed his hair a bit.

"Relax Naruto…it's how I show affection, means I do like you, kid. Now come on, let's get ready to order! I'm hungry and Guy's paying!"

"Oh yeah, I need to see if I can beat my record of thirty bowls from last time!" There was a sudden silence in the ramen hall, as almost every set of eyes turned to focus on Naruto.

"You ate thirty bowls last time?" Sasuke had a tone of disbelief laced with disgust as he looked at the blonde. Sakura just inched a little further away from his spot at the table, her eyes going wide.

"So what? You think you can't beat me, Sasuke?" Sasuke suddenly turned and glared at Naruto, sparks flying between the two of them.

"If it's a contest, let me enter as well! I want to see if I can challenge and defeat two genius's of the village, even if it is something as simple as a ramen contest!" Lee's eyes joined the staring contest, and Guy suddenly felt a cold sweat break out all over his wallet pocket.

"Now, hold on a second Lee, ramen's not healthy for you…you don't want to eat too much of the stuff…" Guy weakly tried to hold his student back, noticing the snickering coming from Jiraiya and Kakashi.

"If you're concerned about the health of the food, there are several other options available…" Hinata's voice drifted over to the group, and brought Neji's eyes quickly to hers.

"Hinata-sama…I hadn't realized you were eating here as well." Tension quickly developed around the group, and Jiraiya was left glancing between various members. "Will you need an escort home for the evening?" Neji's voice was exactingly polite, and contained poorly hidden resentment.

"I should be fine…you don't have to stay if you don't want to…but I'd like it if you did." Neji's mouth gave the barest of twitches and he suddenly pushed back and up from his seat at the table.

"I apologize, Hinata, but I am not really inclined for ramen tonight. Guy sensei, I'll be leaving for the evening." Neji turned and left from the table. Sasuke and Naruto cast quick glances towards Sakura and noticed her fidgeting in her seat. Kakashi sighed and nodded to the girl, who quickly lit out from the place as well.

"Jeez, that guy never changes, huh?" Kiba came up behind Hinata, who had started to look down and away from the group, her face contorted a bit. "Relax, Hinata, it's not your fault he acts that way…" Hinata nodded, and Naruto perked up and smiled brightly at the girl.

"Yeah, Kiba's right! Come on, join us for some food, you and your team!" Guy seemed to blanch a bit at this, and Jiraiya just chuckled good naturedly at the man's misfortune.

"Don't worry Guy, I already treated them tonight, so they won't need to eat." A tall woman, with long black shoulder length hair stepped towards the group. She had striking red eyes, and a battle dress that had one red sleeve, and the other arm bare. The dress was covered with what appeared to be long stretches of cloth, and decorated as if covered with rosethorn vines. Standard shinobi sandals, and a bandage wrapping about her legs completed her outfit.

Jiraiya gave her a once over, recognizing her instantly as the Genjutsu Mistress he'd read about. He smiled approvingly, and offered her a seat at the table. 'Best be careful, I'm terrible when it comes to genjutsu, and this one is an obvious hater of perverts…'

"Kurenai, it's a surprise to see you here, what brought you?" Kurenai nodded to Kakashi, though she frowned at his choice of reading material on display.

"Hinata heard that this stand is offering a new style of healthy ramen, and she wanted to come here…since she completed our training with the fastest time today, I offered to treat to wherever she wanted." Hinata blushed at the praise, and smiled weakly to herself.

"Hey, see bushy-brow's, you can totally eat as much as you want, they have healthy ramen here!" Guy grimaced slightly at Naruto's outburst, and Lee seemed to fire back up.

"Haha! In that case, prepare to be defeated my youthful challengers!" Lee jumped into a seat at the table, causing the rest of the group to rush forward to find a place to sit and eat. Jiraiya noted, with some interest, that Hinata and Tenten were flanking Naruto, with Kiba sitting next to Hinata as well.

'Ah, there is romance in the air! And it seems like Naruto doesn't even realize what's going on just yet…heheh, this is good…' Not one to miss a moment like this, Jiraiya quickly pulled out a sketchpad and jotted a few notes down.

"Well, now that you lot seem to have quieted down a bit, care to tell me what you want to have?"

"Everyone should have miso with a pork fillet to start with, it's amazing here!" No complaints came from the group, though Kiba, Hinata, and Kurenai did bow out of ordering. With that, Teuchi disappeared back into the kitchen, grumbling about rambunctious ninja.

"So, where's the third member of your team, Hinata…I think Kiba mentioned he was some kind of bug-dude at some point…" Hinata blushed bright red at Naruto talking to her, and seemed to mumble something under her breath.

"What's that, I couldn't quite hear you?" Naruto moved closer, causing the girls blush to skyrocket even higher.

"Neji told me that it was Shino Aburame." Tenten suddenly cut in, turning Naruto away from Hinata and towards her. 'Have to be careful, looks like someone else likes Naruto…not that I do or anything? Do I? Later for that…'

"An Aburame…hmm…" Naruto's face scrunched up as he tried to remember what he knew about them. Hinata giggled slightly at that, which made Naruto smile a bit.

"You've got a nice laugh there, Hinata." Naruto's sudden honest compliment brought the blush back full force to Hinata's face, "Oh right! The Aburame are the ones that have the bugs living in side of them, right Kiba?" Kiba nodded to him, though he was looking more towards Jiraiya at the moment.

Jiraiya was scribbling madly in his notebook, and Kakashi was looking over his shoulder and giggling as well. 'Oh my god, the kid is a natural gold mine! This stuff practically writes itself! I can't wait until he's older, this is going to be great...' Guy looked a little worriedly toward them, and Kurenai huffed to herself at their antics.

Sasuke watched the group, sighed to himself slightly, and turned, surprised to find himself seated next to a stony faced Lee.

"What's up with you?" Lee's face remained impassive, though a fire seemed to light in his eyes.

"I am gearing myself up for defeating you and Naruto in this eating contest! I will defeat the both of you!" Sasuke sighed a bit to himself, looking at the rest of the group.

'How…how did I end up the only sane one here out of over a dozen shinobi…' Sasuke sighed to himself as he pulled out his pair of chopsticks, idly twirling them on his fingers.

xXxXxXx

Sakura pulled up close to Neji, her hands grabbing at the wall by her side. 'Still not used to the brutal exercises Danzo has me go through I guess…' Neji turned to face her, his face set in a rictus harder than normal.

"Why did you follow me? You could tell that I was upset, couldn't you? That I'd probably want to be alone for a bit?" Sakura bit her lips at the anger directed her way, her eyes clenching in rage herself.

"Look, you were there for me, so I'm here for you now, ok?!" Sakura grabbed Neji by the front of his outfit and pulled him towards her. Neji suddenly found himself looking down towards Sakura, and Sakura was staring up into his wide, white eyes.

"I…I care about you, alright?" Sakura's voice had fallen to a weak pitch, and she suddenly found herself leaning into Neji. Tension and stress left her body suddenly, all of the work of the last few days with Danzo kicking in to overwhelm her system.

Neji pulled her close, picking up the scent from her body and feeling his anger dissolve as he comforted Sakura. "I'm sorry for yelling…I just…Hinata makes me very angry sometimes…I know it's not her fault, but I can't help but blame her for some reason."

"What happened between you two?" Sakura looked up at Neji with teary eyes, and Neji felt a sudden wrenching in his gut. She looked so pretty, her pink hair disheveled in various places, her emerald green eyes staring into his, and her lips parted and full.

Neji tried to fight down the urge, but couldn't resist himself as he leaned down towards her; he was elated when Sakura moved as well, bringing her lips up to meet his. For several long moments, the two teens stood there, breathless by a marketplace wall, the afternoon sun beating down on them. Passerby noted them, but neither of them cared at that point.

Roughly breaking the kiss, Neji pulled back and away from her. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have done that." Sakura shook her head and pulled him to her again, stopping any further argument incessantly.

"No…no it's fine. I want this, Neji. I know things are complicated, but I want this now…I need something, these days, to get me through…" As Sakura pressed herself against him, Neji felt his last bit of resolve die away. Folding in to the embrace, the two teens stood rooted to the spot, battling for dominance against one another. Breaking apart due to lack of air this time, Neji panted and managed to regain some composure.

"Fair enough…I'd definitely agree to a relationship with you, but there are things we have to talk about…somewhere private." Sakura nodded to him, and grabbed his hand.

"Come on, I know a training field near here that my team uses sometimes, we can talk there…" Neji smiled, liking the feeling of having her hand in his. He pulled alongside her, and managed to link his fingers in with hers.

Sakura blushed at the action, but smiled at him and nodded as the two raced down the streets.

xXxXxXx

Occupants of the ramen shop raced into the street as table after table went flying around the bar.

"Holy shit, Guy, you never told me your student was a drunken master!" Jiraiya fell against the table laughing, his face a picture of drunken happiness. Sasuke, Hinata, and Kiba lay slumped on the table themselves, Kurenai having left the youth to the male charges when Jiraiya insisted on drinking.

It had surprised everyone at the table when Hinata had decided to stay though; she insisted, against Kurenai's wishes, on the basis that she'll have to meet with men in her adult life as a clan head. Jiraiya had supported the girl's decision, but now looked at her resting form in slight chagrin.

'Maybe I shouldn't have given them quite so many shots of rice wine…' Feeling a laugh break out again, Jiraiya panned his eyes over the scene of the destroyed bar. Guy and Kakashi seemed to have settled down the spastic Rock Lee, but he still struggled against them mightily.

Kakashi was sporting a nice shiner, and a busted lip, whereas Guy seemed to have come away with a rather bloodied up nose. 'Oooh, hope the kid didn't break that, that's going to smart…'

Surprising, and annoying Jiraiya the most, was Naruto and Tenten. The girl had led the little blonde haired idiot off to the side, and seemed to be putting the moves on him rather well…

'Except that the kid is as dumb as a brick when it comes to women…jeez, I've got my work cut-out for me, Minato…'

Naruto hadn't quite understood why Tenten wanted to have a drinking contest between the two of them, and Jiraiya had been surprised that the girl had insisted on such a thing. Hinata had attempted to keep up at first, but had quickly hit a limit and passed out. After making sure she was alright, the two had moved off to a private booth.

'It should have worked for the poor girl, but Naruto's food stamina isn't the only stamina he's got…'

Bottles and ramen bowls littered the floor around the two teens, and Naruto was trying to comfort a very happy and clingy Tenten, and blushing his head off. It would be interesting, if it wasn't so obvious that the boy hadn't the slightest idea of what to do with her.

'Brat drank even more than I did, and he looks completely sober!' Jiraiya's hiccup caused a slight migraine to begin to form. 'Oh well, between this, and all the food Guy bought, we might be able to pay for some of the damage…Oh crap, we've got to move in too…while I'll just have Kakashi's team help with that, that should get it finished rather quick. I'll put it in as a mission too, that way I can help Naruto compete in the exams…' Jiraiya smiled to himself as he watched Naruto take care of Tenten, helping the girl to her feet, and trying to keep her hands above his waist as they headed to the bathroom.

"Jeez, you all really know how to party!" Jiraiya turned to take in a purple haired beauty standing in the doorway. Her trenchcoat cover, along with a bodytight netting armor and short shorts drew his eyes all over her luscious form.

"Ah, hey there Anko-chan! Long time, no see! How goes the T&A squads these days?" Anko's head swiveled over to Jiraiya, and she shot him a petulant look.

"It's T&I, you Legendary Asshole…oh man, you really got hammered…mind telling me what happened here, I was in the area and it sounded like a really good fight was breaking out!" Anko's manic grin made Jiraiya sweat drop just a little bit.

'Yep, and that's why I never went after her…Don't stick your dick in crazy is DEFINITELY true with this one…' Jiraiya mimed finishing the last of his drink to keep certain comments to himself, as he was feeling rather fuzzy headed at the moment.

"Apparently, Guy's little mini-me is a natural born drunken master…kid turned into a taijutsu god after only one shot of sake…" Jiraiya shook his head sadly at the nearby destruction. An entire wall of the building was out, and there were impact spots littered across the bar of Kakashi and Guy. Jiraiya had decided not to intervene, as he was drunk enough that his control might slip, which would only add fuel to the fire.

"And the brats there all passed out from drinking as well? What did you do, by them all shots?" Jiraiya shrugged and nodded. Anko turned a blinking look at him, then started busting out laughing.

"Oh man, when Hiashi hears you got Hinata into a drinking contest, he's going to flip. You might have bought it this time, Toad Man…" Jiraiya waved her concerns off, though he did give a grunt at the toad comment.

"Hey, Anko, what brings you here?" Kakashi's voice was very hangdog, and a little slurred.

"Apparently I'm late to an awesome fight…too bad I missed it. Though if you want, I can play nurse for you tonight?" Anko purred lightly at the man, but Kakashi just groaned as he shifted himself into a seat.

"If you're offering actual medical care and a place to crash that's closer than my apartment sure, but otherwise I'll pass. Damn green demon wore me out…." Anko simmered lightly at Kakashi's comment and shot angry daggers over at Lee.

"Well, that's not all I'm offering…"Anko purred as she slipped into the seat next to him and pulled out a quick medic kit.

"You could offer them to people other than him you know? Plenty of interested parties out here who _didn't_ just fend off an angry teenage whirlwind…" Jiraiya smiled lustily at Anko, only to have the woman stick her tongue out at him and go back to treating Kakashi.

Kakashi chuckled at the interaction, but winced suddenly and grabbed at his ribs.

"Damn…the pintsize Guy really did a number on you, didn't he?" Kakashi nodded, and smiled calmly when she began applying healing salve to his arms. "For the serious stuff, you might want an actual medic eventually. So, you're entering your kids into the exams now that that council hearing is over with, right?" Kakashi groaned, and nodded.

"Still have some paperwork and stuff to do though; we need another three missions to fill before then though, because even with the S-Rank under our belts, that only gives us a total of four. The S-Rank will count for double, but we took too much time on it…" Kakashi winced as Anko forcefully applied a strong adhesive bandage to a nasty cut on his leg.

"Well, I might have something to help with that. I was going to hire only Kurenai's team to help me catalog and locate some of the more dangerous animals this week, as a favor to her, but I think I can probably send both her team and your team in solo…give us higher ups a morning off for a week." Anko smiled as she put her equipment away.

"Come on, what do you think of a week of mornings with no genin to watch out for, and nothing to do but spend time with me when you're _not _exhausted?" Anko purred at Kakashi, leaning closer to the scarecrow ninja.

"Oh my god, this town is great, I really need to stop back here more often!" Jiraiya cackled to himself, causing both of the older ninja to look over at him. The lecherous man had his notebook back out and was scribbling madly in it, jotting down quick, anatomically impossible drawings of Anko and Kakashi.

"Sorry Anko, but we might have to take a rain check on the relaxing. Toad hunting just became a lot more interesting…" Jiraiya looked up suddenly at Kakashi, fear beginning to dawn on his face.

"Wait, I didn't say that outloud did I? Damn alcohol…" Jiraiya turned a fearful eye on Anko, and discovered a similarly enraged face.

"Oh you did…and I have to say that I agree with my angry friend here…best start running, boy-o…" Anko pulled a kunai quickly from her pouch, and turned to level it at the Toad Sage. In an instant, she found herself disarmed with him behind her, holding onto the object.

"You're good, kid, but not that good yet…" Naruto walked out of the bathroom then, with a very embarrassed, but healthier looking Tenten draped around his shoulders. "Sorry, but I have to go for now, need to play the good adult role and make sure those two get home alright. I'll leave the others to you guys!" Jiraiya suddenly disappeared from Anko's side, and she saw the man bounding across the bar.

"That man…I swear, how you can enjoy his books when you know him in person is beyond me…" Anko grated to herself as she pulled another kunai from her holster, contemplating the chances of hitting either of the two kids with it.

"You enjoy them as much as I do, so don't try and play high and mighty, Anko-chan." Anko looked up at the suffix attached, and then blushed further when she felt Kakashi's hand settle over her own.

"If you really do want to have some alone time with me, perhaps we should spend it really getting to know each other…there's a lot I need to tell you before we do anything." Anko found herself smiling powerfully, a girlish blush fighting onto her cheeks. For the sake of her pride, she nodded simply and pulled her hand away, though not too quickly.

"So, WHO THE HELL IS PAYING FOR ALL THIS?" Kakashi turned to find a very irate Ichiraku standing behind the destroyed bar, looking angrily at the varied destruction. Guy looked up from where he was caring for Lee to survery the damage, and in doing so counted all of the various ramen bowls littered everywhere.

'And this would be the time I make my exit…' thought Jiraiya as he pulled Naruto and Tenten toward the exit.

"You can place the drinks on me, Ichiraku! My tab is still open, right?" The bar owner nodded to Jiraiya, and the man smiled back at him. "Well now, I'm going to escort these two home. Kakashi, as partial recompense, your team will have a mission with me this week helping Naruto and I get settled in to our apartment. Gives me a chance to get to know these kids as well." Kakashi blinked in surprise and nodded at the older ninja.

"Yeah, well you and your teams can fix up my bar while you're at it! And you'll be paying for it!" Ichiraku's hand flashed out and pointed at Guy, who began to whimper at the loss his bank account was about to make.

"Don't worry Guy, I'll help pay for the mission as well, as my team really needs the extra ones to qualify. With these and Anko's work though, we should be just fine." Guy turned teary eyes of gratitude on Kakashi, but the silver-haired ninja quickly held up his hands in forbearance.

"Seriously, no need for the hysterics. Let's just get these kids cleaned up and taken home." Anko moved over to the table and picked Sasuke out of the clump of sleeping genin.

"Sasuke lives near to my place, so I'll take care of him with Kakashi. You can take care of the other two and getting Lee home, right?" Guy nodded, and left to pay his bill.

"Come on, let's go Kakashi! The night is still young, and I have to see if I can get some of your energy back so I can use it up again!" Kakashi chuckled as the group fled into the streets.

xXxXxXx

Sakura and Neji slipped out of the lights of the streets into the dark of the training grounds. Pulling him closer, Sakura draped her arm around his waist. Neji shivered at the warmth of her so close, and strengthened his grip around her waist as well.

"So, what's the story between you and Hinata?" Neji took a long breath out, fighting to keep tension out of his system.

'It really is a rather simple story…why is it so hard for me tell it calmly?' Neji shook his thoughts off, and turned his eyes down towards Sakura. That proved a mistake, as he instantly realized how close together they were, and he bent down to breathlessly capture her lips again.

After several minutes of embrace, the two parted again, and Sakura pulled back from him, putting space between the two of them. Neji looked at her with concern, and she just laughed and brought her hand to his face.

"As much as I liked that, I think it's rather counterproductive to what we're trying to do at the moment…" Sakura smiled at Neji, and the Hyuuga felt a sense of calm enter his system. Gesturing to a nearby tree, Sakura moved over and sat herself down on the ground. Neji smiled, and moved over to join her. After clearing his throat once or twice, he began.

"When I was younger, my father and Hinata's father were very close. In the Hyuuga family, the first born is the leader of the clan, and the second born is adopted into the branch family. Hinata's father, Hiashi, and my father, Hizashi, were twins. Hiashi was born just seconds sooner, but he became the clan leader and my father was marked with the caged bird seal…" Neji stopped and removed his headband, showing his caged bird seal to Sakura. She reached up, and ran her fingers over it, aware of the pain and tension flitting across his face. She watched as he leaned his cheek into her palm, and saw some of the tension fade away.

"When I turned four years old, I had this seal carved into my forehead. It is a painful process, and my mother sat with me through it. Due to the delicacy of the seal, and how it interacts with the brain, no anesthetics can be used, and it must be applied while a child is young and can be kept awake through the pain." Sakura gripped Neji's hand, having found herself holding onto it as he talked. His voice had increased with bitterness the whole time, his grip getting tighter. She squeezed back against it, and he relaxed a bit. He turned to kiss her again, and Sakura put a finger to his lip, then leaned up and kissed his seal instead.

"Keep going, I don't want you to stop talking just yet…" Neji nodded to her, and gathered his thoughts again.

"A grand ceremony was being held that day…a noble from Kumogakure, whom Konoha had been fighting against for years, had come on a visit. He was to stay and sign an alliance treaty, and was to be attended by every clan. The only clan that didn't make the ceremony was the Hyuuga clan, because the heiress was about to turn three years old." Sakura nodded, recognizing that Hinata was the heiress in question.

'He can't even say her name…oh Neji, how much torment are you laying on the poor girl?' Sakura kept her thought to herself, and merely leaned against him, silently lending support.

"It was after meeting Hinata that I was first given the mark of the Hyuuga. Right afterwards, and I would not learn until later that it was because she had survived to the age of three that I was receiving the mark at all. It was also the first time that I saw it used, on my father by Hinata's father. He fell, crippled to the floor, for sparring too harshly with Hinata…probably because of his anger over her surviving long enough for me to receive the mark that had haunted his whole life." Sakura fought back tears, and brought her hand up again to trace the seal on Neji's forehead.

"What does it do? I mean, exactly, how does it give the main family control?" Neji sighed and gripped Sakura's hand tighter.

"It is a means of instant death, or permanent mental crippling for a Hyuuga of the branch family. It cannot be removed, except through death, and if the branch member dies it seals away the Byakugan forever. It is how the secrets of the Byakugan have been kept from the world for so long." Sakura fought to keep tears from overcoming her, and she leaned into Neji. Part of her raged as she did, screaming for blood from those who would take him from her. She silenced her mind instead, forcing the thoughts of death and destruction away.

"During the visit of the Kumogakure dignitary, an abduction attempt was made on Hinata. It was discovered, and stopped by the guards of the main branch, but the intruder was killed. The intruder was the Kumogakure dignitary though, and the two villages seemed posed for war. However, Konoha was weakened after recent fighting, and so wished to avoid combat. They instead made a back-door deal to avoid fighting; they offered up the life of Hiashi Hyuuga, whose body would contain the Byakugan as he was unmarked." Sakura blinked in confusion, before horrible dread began to take over her body.

"The Hyuuga clan instead sent the body of Hizashi Hyuuga. They were identical in nearly every way, except that on death, his Byakugan was sealed away. As witnesses from Kumo had confirmed that he matched the identity of Hiashi Hyuuga before his execution though, they could not rightly complain when they discovered they had been tricked. Since that day, I've laid the blame for my own fate, as well as the fate of my father, at the feet of the main branch of the Hyuuga. And as Hinata is part of the main branch, she too shares in that responsibility." Sakura winced internally at the pain and raw emotions emanating from Neji, and held herself against him. When he didn't start crying, she felt her own tears start to break out.

"I'm sorry…you must think I'm pathetic…crying at a story…"Sakura sobbed, holding herself to him. She pulled herself up to see tear tracks running down Neji's face. His features were schooled in neutrality, but his eyes held such sadness that Sakura felt the world would break under their weight.

"Just because I'm not sobbing, does not mean that my heart is not rending. You are the first person I've told this to, and…" Neji paused, shuddering several times to catch his breath, "And I think it has helped me to talk of it. I…feel strongly for you Sakura, and don't want to see you come to harm." Sakura smiled, happiness lighting her face up.

"I feel strongly for you as well, Neji. And I don't want to see you get hurt either, so let's stick together as much as we can." Neji smiled, the weight seeming to leave his eyes, and light seeming to return to the world.

Sakura leaned up, and placed her lips against his, reveling in his embrace.

xXxXxXx

Naruto gladly embraced the feeling of a softness against him as he lowered himself onto his futon. Jiraiya had helped Naruto escort Tenten home, who had been mumbling stuff under her breath the whole time.

'Damn…she actually likes me…I'll have to figure out sometime to tell her about the fox…I don't want someone whose close to me getting hurt by it…' Naruto's mind flashed back to images of the bridge, and he winced at the memories. He rose from the bed, missing it's comfort, but needing to wash and shower before bed.

As he reached the sink, he looked up into the mirror, and then yelled as he jumped back from it. Staring back at him was Tenten, scarred and cut up, bleeding, and dead. The image faded quickly, showing itself to be a hallucination, but he rubbed at his eyes several times to make sure.

"Oi! You alright in there, brat? I'm going to bed soon, so if you cut yourself shaving, deal with it yourself!" Jiraiya's voice, heavily slurred from an oncoming hangover, came from the other side of the door.

"I'm fine, go to bed old man! I'll see you in the morning!" Jiraiya grumbled something incoherent back to him, and Naruto washed at his hands, over and over. The feeling of blood wouldn't quite fade, and he could have sworn he heard laughter emanating from the background.

xXxXxXx

Anko laughed as she pulled Kakashi close to her, overcoming the surprisingly prudish Jounin's sense of decorum. She kissed him soundly on the lips and pulled him hungrily to her, delighting in getting to see him with his mask off.

'He's so damnably handsome, why does he have to hide it all the time? In fact, why does he hide all of himself all the time…' Anko's hands found the hem of his shirt, and his flak jacket was quickly removed along with the offending article.

Anko smiled as she ran her hands along his torso, finding herself leaning up to nip at his neck, before latching onto his collarbone. Kakashi grunted as she bit down, and used his hands to ease her own shirt up. Anko broke away from a second to remove her garments, then pulled him down, with him atop her onto her futon.

Her apartment wasn't much to look at; a basic kitchen and dining room, with a king size futon spread on the ground in front of the tv. A full bathroom, along with a guest room completed the ensemble. The guest room would normally have been the bedroom, but the presence of too many windows made it less desirable for the snake mistress.

At the moment though, Anko highly enjoyed the fact that she had the spare bedroom, as that was what convinced Kakashi to stay the night at her place. 'And he said he was all out of energy…what a little liar.' Anko smirked to herself as she reattached her mouth to his collarbone. The world was going to know that she marked him as hers, and know it well.

Kakashi, for his part, fought against his growing need, trying to remember that he had wanted to talk to Anko about serious matters before hopping into bed with her.

'I've dealt with this too many times, it's why I've been celibate for so long…well, that and Jiraiya's wonderful collection of literature…god, how much of a mark is she leaving?' Kakashi felt if she was marking him, he should return the favor, and lowered his lips to her neck, his teeth sinking into her soft pale flesh.

Anko shuddered under the administration, and focused through her bite mark, sucking harder now to make it last. She smiled when she pulled away with a popping noise, and then took a step back to help her cool her own head.

'Careful now, he said he wanted to talk…I really do like the idiot, so I need to see if I can reel him in slowly…damnit, why am I so bad at slowly?' Anko felt a slight wetness between her legs, and fought back a moan at the sight of him shirtless and breathing heavily while looking at her. The ninja lifestyles did wonders for a body, and Kakashi's was no exception; toned planes of muscle everywhere, and a litheness that reminded one of a leopard or jaguar.

"So…serious topics, best discussed in bed cuddling, with absolutely no sex before…possibly after if you're willing to deal with my level of baggage." Anko laughed openly at his honesty, before nodding and moving over to her futon.

She lowered herself as sensuously as she could, hoping to elicit the maximum amount of response from him as possible. She smiled when, upon turning around, she noted him breathing rather heavily once more. 'Oh yeah, still got it!'

"Well, you going to join me, or just stand there looking sexy?" It was Kakashi's turn to bark out a laugh, and he sauntered over to the bed as well. He pulled the sheets over the two of them, and then kissed her soundly on the mouth, making Anko fight to contain her growing need from escaping her lips.

"You would enjoy me just standing there looking sexy, wouldn't you?" Kakashi's voice held a smirk in it, and Anko smiled happily at the sound. Kakashi settled into the bed, and pulled his forehead protector off, setting the headband down on the side of the bed. Anko moved to get closer, but she noticed Kakashi stiffen suddenly.

"The stories about my team and Obito are quite well known in ANBU; I was one of the only ANBU captains ever to have been sent into therapy more times than I was sent on important missions as a team leader." Anko nodded, the stories familiar to her from her work in the T&I departments.

"What isn't known, at least not publically, is that Rin worked a lot of those missions with me. She kept herself to the shadows, waiting for her emotional scars to heal. I stayed close to her…and we became lovers after a while." Anko nodded, trying to keep a growing feeling of dismay from growing in her stomach. Mentioning a past lover to a new lover never was a good sign.

"She…she and I wanted to get married at one point. It was mostly because she had gotten pregnant...she messed up the timing of her birth control while we were on a long term mission. She told me when we were on the mission, and I was so excited. I wanted to go back immediately, and settle down with her, raise the child, and forget ninja work for a while. Her family was made up of medical workers, so they could have provided for us while I taught at the academy." Anko smiled at the image, wishing she could have been the one he had this with, but wondering where this was all going.

"The mission we were on, was to the village of Yugakure, which had recently transitioned to a peaceful status. We were gathering information on a growing presence of Jashinist individuals in the nearby countryside. I was out on reconnaissance that day, with the rest of the team, and Rin was staying behind to man our operation in the city. She apparently had been out shopping when it happened…" Anko felt her blood run cold. The Yugakure village had been slaughtered in a single day, and she knew it remained a mystery as to the culprit of the crime. It was noted as one of the greater failings in the Konoha ANBU to not discover who had done this, and was not mentioned among members.

"She had a diamond ring picked out, and a couple pictures of dresses she liked when I found her…I could only tell it was her from the images, as she had written my codename on some of them, little notes asking what I thought about this or that…" Kakashi had tears sadly streaming down his face. Anko moved towards him, tentatively wrapping an arm around him.

"I'm…I'm here Kakashi. I've got my own issues to, but you've heard those before when we talked, you know? And you were there for me then…so I'm here now…" Anko brought her arms up and around the man's neck, and Kakashi leaned into her embrace, his body stiff the whole time.

"Every time I leave someone's side, they end up getting killed…I don't know if I could take having something like that happening to one more person…it's why I keep everyone at arms-length…" Anko nodded, and kissed his forehead, drawing him to her embrace.

"I know…I know. I don't think I could handle being betrayed again, so we just have to make sure neither of us does that…no leaving, and no betraying." Anko kissed him firmly on the lips, and Kakashi seemed to liven a bit at that.

"I can promise that much at least…" Anko smiled as his hands pulled against her back, bringing herself on top of him.

'Oh my god, he feels wonderful…'

xXxXxXx

Hinata awoke to the wonderful feeling of her first hangover ever, mixed with the bitter feeling of losing out terribly to another girl.

'When did Tenten start to like him? No one was supposed to go after him in my year of ninja, it was a girls decision…they decided to all back off so I could have a chance since I was shy…' Hinata remembered when she was eight, all the girls had gathered together and talked about who they liked.

Many of the girls had been after Sasuke, but Naruto also had quite a few girls who liked him. It was when Hinata spoke up that the entire group had turned to her in surprise. Ino had brought her into the group, along with Sakura and a few others. It was the day that Ino and Sakura started their rivalry, but it was also the day that, in front of all the other girls her age, Hinata had declared who she liked.

'But Tenten wasn't in our year…maybe it was stupid to expect such a silly thing to keep him set aside for me…' Hinata winced as she rose from her futon on a tatami mat, her headache coming to full bore as she began her morning routine.

As she began to move things about, flashbacks from the night before came back to her…

"_Hey, since this is turning into such a huge celebration, let's all have a drink to celebrate!" Jiraiya's boisterous voice and lecherous grin towards Kurenai-sensei had set Hinata's nerves slightly on edge, though he seemed positive and joking about it in the most part. _

"_Hmph…I don't know about you two blockheads, but even if I did have the money to pay for the kids drinks, I wouldn't let them." Kurenai crossed her arms angrily and turned away from Jiraiya, the genjutsu mistress already having ingested some alcohol on her own accord. _

"_Oh come on, when I was their age I was already drinking and going to peep shows…as a ninja you become an adult of the village, so enjoy it while you can! Hell, I'll even pay for their drinks, I can afford it!" Kurenai seemed disgusted by this and turned to Kiba and Hinata with a look of anger on her face. _

"_You two can stay or go as you wish, but I'm leaving. Hinata, I think you should as well. It wouldn't do for a woman of your station to be out drinking with ruffians like Jiraiya." Hinata stiffened a bit at being put on the spot and she turned to look at Kiba nervously. _

"_You can go if you want Hinata. Mom never lets me drink, and if Jiraiya is paying I'd be stupid to turn him down!" Jiraiya smirked and nodded to Kiba, apparently sensing a fellow soul of the bottle. _

"_You shouldn't listen to Kurenai either Hinata…my teammate, Tsunade, was the daughter of the Senju, a practical royalty of the village, and she'd get smashed with my teammates and I all the time when we were young!" Kurenai rolled her eyes, and stormed out of the establishment, Jiraiya blowing a raspberry at her backside. Tenten and Naruto chuckled at this, and Tenten moved closer towards Naruto, making Hinata's stomach drop lower. _

'_If I leave though, I'll never be able to catch up…screw it! I'm staying and fighting for him!' Hinata turned, and with a fire in her eyes nodded to Jiraiya. _

"_I'd like to stay, Jiraiya." Jiraiya nodded, and laughed at that, and Kakashi and Guy traded worried looks, but shook their heads. _

"_That's the spirit, girlie! Let's get all you kids some drinks, find out just what you're made of!" Guy had stepped in at that point and put a hand on Lee's shoulders. Lee turned to look at Guy, and nodded once, understanding what he meant. _

"_Lee has a bit of a condition with alcohol, Jiraiya, so he won't be able to participate in drinking." Jiraiya turned and gave the boy a questioning look, and shrugged. _

"_Suit yourself, but I'm paying so order what you want kiddo's!" _

xXxXxXx

'Yeah, that's how it started all right…though the ending was quite entertaining…'

xXxXxXx

_Hinata felt the tears threatening to break out, as she watched Tenten and Naruto separate from the group. The two of them had definitely won the drinking contest, and since it was down to just the two of them, they went off on their own to finish. Still, Tenten looked pretty far gone, and from the looks she kept throwing Naruto, it was obvious that she knew what she was after as well. _

'_The worst part is, he can tell that I'm upset, but doesn't know why…and he'll probably never figure it out…' Hinata felt herself fall more and more into her own sadness, until suddenly an arm wrapped around her shoulders. _

_Turning to look, she found herself staring into Kiba's eyes, who seemed to be looking at her longingly. _

"_Hey, forget about that idiot brother of mine…I'm here right now…" Hinata blushed heavily at that, and not knowing what to do, buried herself in Kiba's arms. Sasuke snorted on the side, drawing a derisive look from Kiba. _

"_So, what am I? Chopped liver? Look, all three of us lost that match, and Naruto's acting like an idiot with Tenten…honestly Hinata, don't worry about a prat like him, he doesn't even understand that girls CAN like boy's yet…let alone what to do with one." Kiba growled lightly at the Uchiha, who merely gave the Inuzuka a condescending look. _

"_How about instead of growling and crying, we have some fun?" Sasuke grabbed a bottle from the table, and smiled at Hinata. "A little bit of drunken truth or dare to pass the time? Or is that too low minded for the Hyuuga?" Kiba's growl had grown definitely louder, but Hinata smirked a challenge at Sasuke. _

"_Sure, why not." Kiba's jaw practically hit the table, and Hinata smiled up at him. "If Naruto's not going to rescue me, I have to figure out how to stand on my own, you know?" Kiba grimaced, and nodded to her. He reached over and spun the bottle first, getting it to land on Hinata. "Well, looks like you get the first choice…"_

"_Dare me…"_

_xXxXxXx_

'Oh my god, I kissed both of them! And ended up cuddling, drunk and passed out in a bar with Kiba Inuzuka and Sasuke Uchiha...' Hinata fell to the floor, clutching her head, and not believing what happened.

'What if Naruto saw? What does he think of me now?' Hinata's mind flash backed to Tenten and Naruto secluded in a corner and drinking and talking. Then she remembered Naruto holding her as the girl talked to him, and Tenten trying to kiss Naruto rather sloppily...

'…I was too late…someone else made a move first, and I lost him…maybe not for good, but for a while at least, if I know Naruto…' Hinata let a few tears slide down her cheeks, and tiny little hiccups escaped from her huddled form. Just then, a knock came at the door, announcing a visitor.

xXxXxXx

Kakashi awoke to a knock at a door, and after looking around, quickly remembered that he had stayed the night at Anko's house, in her 'bed room'. Anko stirred beside the ninja, and she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. It felt great to have her there, to have someone involved in his life again, someone to bear unto all of his past mistakes. Anko curled beside him, stretching languidly and yawning.

"It's nice to have a warm body here, first thing in the morning." Anko's voice drifted from her lips as she fluidly moved over Kakashi, her naked form a lithe image to behold. Her breasts were just covered by her purple hair, and her brown eyes gazed longingly down at Kakashi as she snuck a quick kiss from him. Turning to watch her disappear, Kakashi marveled once more at the graceful curves of the snake woman. He groaned when she pinned her hair up, revealing a perfectly round behind, wider than an open palm on each side. Just before answering the door, she hid it all behind one of her traditional trench coats.

'God that was some of the most fun I've had in a long time.' The two adults had not gone the whole way the night before, Kakashi believing it better to take it slow. But they had covered all the ground before the final act itself, and covered it well.

"What are you doing here brat?" Kakashi turned towards Anko to see Sasuke standing at the door, fully dressed and looking rather irate about the morning.

'Looks like I need to give the group a lecture on proper drinking habits…oh well, getting it wrong the first time means they are less likely to mess it up the second.' Kakashi chuckled to himself, rising out of bed and changing quickly. As he did, he heard voices drift from the door.

"Kakashi has a mission with me and my team, one you requested and are contracting for. This morning is the initial meeting and mission parameters." Sasuke voice was stiff, harsh, and would have been intimidating if not for the obviously hangover-rasp.

"Don't worry about it I'm ready to go now." Kakashi strode over to the door, kissed Anko on the lips briefly, and followed Sasuke out the door. Glancing a look at his usually well-coifed subordinate, Kakashi noticed the rumpled look of Sasuke's clothes, the circles under his eyes, and the general disarray of his hair.

"So, I take it you came to get me before we rounded up the others?" Kakashi felt his eyes widen as Sasuke shook his head. "Who gathered everyone up then?" Sasuke shrugged and nodded over to an overly enthusiastic looking Naruto and Sakura. The two were at the base of Anko's apartment structure, standing on the village streets. In each of their hands were their elemental training objects, Naruto's leaf and Sakura's bowl of rice.

Suddenly, Naruto started bouncing around, and jumping to and fro; Kakashi stared in surprise at the boy's leaf, and noted with some surprise that he had managed to get a cut nearly all the way across. 'He's coming along in that extraordinarily fast! He started two months ago, and he's almost got the first stage of the training down…wait until I explain stage two though…' Kakashi smiled at his team, waving a hand to all of them.

Naruto looked up and waved back, holding up the leaf to Sasuke. Sasuke merely scoffed and turned away. Sakura though never looked up from her work, save to just nod to Kakashi. 'She's growing rather distant with me…I'll need to talk to her about this…'

"Well, glad to see at least some of you weathered last night better than Sasuke here!" Sasuke growled at Kakashi, and Naruto chuckled. Kakashi noted with a small sense of relief that Sakura had looked up and smiled at the antics. "Now, we should really be heading to the tower, we have to meet Kurenai's team and get the mission briefing together. We'll go over some planning with them, but this is an 'in-village' assignment, so it'll probably start tomorrow." The group nodded and headed towards the tower as one.

"So, Kakashi-sensei, why were you at Anko's house, huh? Were you too drunk to make it home last night or something?" Naruto's snickering voice got raised eyebrows from both of his teammates.

"Yeah. I'm surprised you're so energetic yourself Naruto, you drank far more than I did last night." Naruto smiled cheekily at Kakashi, earning growing stares of disbelief from his teammates.

"Yep! That's just another sign that I'm going to be the best in the village!" Naruto blissfully stuck his hands behind his head, his smile splitting his face.

'He really is a blockhead, isn't he?' Sakura and Sasuke sighed as they looked at each other.

xXxXxXx

Kiba sighed as he sat outside Hinata's room. He'd asked to be let in, and then had someone escort him inside so he could wait for her. Now he just had to replay the night before over and over in his head.

'It's all the damned Uchiha's fault. Playing truth or dare while drunk is the stupidest idea I've ever heard of now that I'm sober…Hinata probably hates me now too, even after I admitted I liked her…' Kiba felt his fists tighten, thinking of Sasuke and his smug look. He felt his face contort in rage, and Akamaru suddenly yipped and bit him on the leg, getting him to relax greatly.

"Sorry boy…last night just gets me worked up, you know?" Kiba turned and ran a hand soothingly over the dog's fur, before he started suddenly.

"So…you were thinking over last night as well, Kiba-kun?" Kiba nodded to Hinata, unsure of when she had appeared in the hallway. The Hyuuga heiress sat down next to him, closer than she would have done before the evening prior. Her scent was overpowering to the Inuzuka, the most heavenly thing he'd ever caught; lavender and sandalwood, mixed together with touches of pine. She took in a deep, rattling breath, before turning an angelic smile on the boy.

"We can't talk about it here. Maybe later, but not while in the estate. I…remember what you told me, and I'd like some time to think on it…but I'm leaning toward agreeing to it." Kiba felt his heart go a thousand miles a minute, and sputtered to say something, but Hinata merely shook her head at him and placed a finger over his mouth.

"Come on…the others are waiting for us, right?" Kiba felt his words begin to stumble about, and so simply nodded to Hinata.

'Huh…so she's tongue-tied with Naruto, I'm tongue-tied with her…and Sasuke Uchiha is just a damnable prick.'

xXxXxXx

Sasuke leaned back in his seat, yawning and trying not to fall asleep. Today was a waste of a day in his opinion. All that was happening was a bunch of people yapping and talking, hour after hour. He was rarely asked for input, and honestly didn't care about what happened on the missions so long as things got done.

Kiba kept shooting him murderous glares the entire time, and Hinata questioning ones, but the Uchiha simply ignored them. Last night for him was physical pleasure, and nothing more. No reason to get emotional about anything. 'Honestly, why does he care so much? I know he likes her, but he has no claim over her yet…Inuzuka must be raised to be insipid…'

Stifling another yawn, Sasuke looked over the day's itinerary. 'We've got scheduling and meetings until seven in the evening, first with Anko, then with Jiraiya, and finally with Ichiraku's and Guy. I'm going straight to bed after this.'

Naruto did yawn next to him, and then held a leaf out behind his back, using the motion to hide his intention. Sasuke smirked and nodded to the blonde. Seconds later, the leaf was burning slightly, but working its way at an infinitesimal pace towards the edges.

xXxXxXx

"Good god, those meetings took FOREVER!" Naruto cried to the heavens as Kakashi and his team was released. He had been sending meaningful looks over to Tenten throughout the meeting, but she had merely blushed and looked away every time. As soon as the meeting had ended, she had booked it out of there. Naruto had made to follow, but Sasuke clamped a hand down on his shoulder and shook his head solemnly.

Shaking that off, Naruto pumped his hands to the sky, his bow rattling behind his back along with his quiver. Pulling his jacket closer against the evening chill, Naruto turned back to the group. His long black pants dusted over the ground, and his sandals kicked up a leaf as it did, sparking a smile from Naruto.

'Oh yeah, we have to tell Kakashi-sensei about our success!' Naruto smirked at the memory. He had been bored out of his mind during the meeting, and needed some training to keep himself awake. He hadn't suspected that the two of them would have burnt through a whole leaf and split it without anyone noticing but they had. Several times. Naruto's grin split his face as he turned towards Kakashi.

"We need the next stage of elemental combination training, Kakashi." Naruto's face fell as Sasuke and Kakashi approached him. Sakura was leaving in the background, saying a quiet goodbye before going. Naruto waved half-heartedly, then turned an annoyed look on Sasuke.

"Hey, I wanted to tell him! It was my idea to train during the meeting!" Kakashi turned a startled eye on Naruto.

"You were practicing combination elemental jutsu of fire and wind, during a meeting in an office…surrounded by flammable books and papers of great import?" Naruto turned and chuckled awkwardly at Kakashi, but held up several fully burnt and split leaves.

"Yeah…but we finished it. Working together, we finished our training. So that means we get to go onto the next step right?" Kakashi's glare had not lessened, and he shook his head.

"Not until you can finish the individual on your own, and learn some maturity. The later will take longer I feel." Both boys grimaced, but nodded. "Now, go on, tomorrow is going to come early enough…"

xXxXxXx

Sakura sighed as she thought over the last week of missions. 'Man, those team ones were a right pain in the ass…' She rolled her neck and stretched a bit. Jiraiya had let her team out early, and she had booked it out of there, hoping to catch some time to spend with Neji or someone NOT on her team for a while.

'Naruto's annoying as hell with Tenten, acting like he's interested but chickening out because of his jinchuuriki status…still, understand why he's tentative, but he's so damned annoying about it. Sasuke is practically worse, both for riling up Kiba and Hinata the whole week, and for being so damned emotionless about everyone…' Sakura's robotic motion carried her to a seat, and she had just managed to order when an annoying screech came from behind her.

"Sakura! Long time no see! How have you been, man you look worn down!" Ino's grating voice came out of nowhere. The girl was wearing her purple outfit, matching the look of the street café. A small garden out front drew Sakura's eyes, and she looked about, noticing the circular tables and white cloth, as well as the shining sun.

After looking about, Sakura quickly took in her own appearance, noting that her clothes were indeed smudged and dirtied in several areas. Today had finished the work with Anko and her team, and the afternoon had seen Jiraiya and Naruto moved in to their house. She had brown and black marks on her red battle outfit, and her skirt was ripped in a few places. Her mesh armor was fine for the moment, and her two whips rested at her side, ready for use. Still, the nicks and cuts in a couple places on her skin were apparently obvious.

"Yeah, it's been a rough week Ino. Have time to catch a cup and chat?" Part of Sakura winced at the idea, but she brushed it off. 'Ino is a friend, and the town gossip. If anyone needs to know of this week's developments, it's her.' Sakura smiled when Ino agreed and pulled up a chair.

"I can tell. What's been going on?" Sakura sighed at that, and fixed Ino with a solid glare. Ino flinched back a bit, but then smiled and nodded absently.

"You want short story, here we go: complicated mess of relationships, three missions in village, and brutal training in the evening, with no time for team practice." Ino felt her eyes widen, but merely nodded along at Sakura's story.

"Details. Give me details on the complicated mess of relationships. Maybe the missions too…training keep to yourself, my dad and Asuma have enough of that for my group right now!" Ino laughed along, but her eyes had gained a steely glint of interest.

"Well…looks like Hinata is giving a pass on Naruto to Tenten, as Tenten has made some actual move on him. Naruto however is chicken-footing around due to…issues he has since losing Kurama." Ino nodded at that, the glint in her eyes dimming a bit at the mention of Naruto's loss.

"Did he ever become aware of Hinata's feelings?" Sakura nodded to this, "And he didn't do anything about it?" Sakura shook her head to that.

"He did…he told her that it was awesome that she had liked him for so long, but that she didn't know him…and that it'd be better if they try being friends before anything else. And that he was interested in Tenten, so anything more would have to wait until they had had a chance." Ino looked down at that, but smiled bitterly.

"Damn…so that promise we all made years ago was pointless…oh well. Tenten's alright with this?" Sakura laughed harshly at that, and Ino had to blink several times before placing an order as a waiter come over. Sakura's laugh subsided into chuckles, and she took a sip from her own drink for a second as she recovered.

"Sorry about that. Yeah, Tenten's definitely okay with it. Also, don't worry too much about Hinata, as she's taken up with a new Inuzuka boy, Kiba." Ino blinked at that and a huge smile broke out on her face.

"Seriously? Kiba's liked Hinata since they were assigned to team 8! Haha, that's great. Alright, what else you got for me?" Sakura smirked, and took a long sip from her drink, denying Ino any sort of satisfaction for a few moments. "Come on Forehead, I know you have more than that for me!" Sakura lowered her cup, and smiled at Ino.

"I'm dating Neji Hyuuga." Ino felt her eyes practically bug out. Sakura just started chuckling again, before fishing around for change for her cup of tea.

"I'll see you at the exams, Ino." Sakura sashayed out of the café, a smirk on her face as she walked off to meet Neji. 'That was fun…I should catch up with her more often…plus, I still didn't tell her of the practical blood fued Sasuke's about to start with Kiba by being stuck up about everything.' Sakura chuckled lightly to herself as she walked in the afternoon sun.

xXxXxXx

"Finally finished!" Naruto fell back onto his bed in relief. The week had taken a toll on him, and he was exhausted. His jacket was cut up in several places, and there was grime under a few of his claws. 'Keeping these clean is going to drive me crazy!' With that thought, Naruto began to pick out the dirt with his thumbnail.

"Brat! I'm home, come in here!" Naruto jumped up at that sound, and looked towards the door to his room. Naruto's room had ended up sparsely decorated, a simple futon in a corner by a window and posters on the wall. A dresser and mirror were on the left side of the bed, and at the foot was all of his ninja gear. A workout area just big enough for him was on the far left of the room, and the door on the right. Getting up, Naruto stretched and looked over toward his bow and arrows before grabbing his traditional bag of leafs.

"What do you want, you old toad?" Naruto smiled at Jiraiya as he said it, and the two of them chuckled at their banter.

"Take it you finished your missions…what are the leafs for?" Naruto smirked and bent his hands over them. In a few moments, he felt the usual strain and stop at around eighty percent through. Pulling his hand back he got a low whistle from Jiraiya.

"That's pretty good kid. Hey, you have the next two days off until the exam right?" Naruto nodded to Jiraiya, and Jiraiya smirked. "Want to learn a super-secret technique that can get you to finish that training before then?" Naruto blinked but then a huge grin split his face.

"You mean it! Definitely! Oh man, why didn't you teach me this sooner!" Jiraiya shrugged and motioned for him to come closer.

"It's a pretty famous technique of the leaf village, and also forbidden to teach outside of family members who know it or with permission from the Hokage. As you are my godson, and as it will be VERY useful both for training and for your usual combination attacks, I was going to try to teach you beforehand. But you kept having Tenten over and wanting to learn about seals for the last few nights." Naruto smirked in chagrin at the end there.

"So…it's a clone technique then? But what sort of clone technique could help with elemental training?" Jiraiya smiled and reached into a pocket to pull out a scroll.

"Here's my description of it. It's called the shadow clone, and you have to divide your chakra evenly among each clone you make. They also send their experiences and memories back to their maker." Naruto smiled hugely at that, and smirked.

"This sounds like my kind of jutsu…let's get to it!"

xXxXxXx

MAH! That took forever to write…sorry for the wait everyone, that one just needed time and a lot of polishing. Didn't want multiple chapters before Chuunin exam, and there was just so much to do…finding ways to do it that allowed me to backtrack to it eventually was necessary. Plus, I needed to reveal enough of the developing relationships, without going into too much detail yet (more of that in exams), and needed to get them through the necessary mission count, which is normally eight. With this, the Kakashi Team has seven total, three before Wave, Wave, and three after. I'm having Wave count for two, as it was eventually termed an S-Class mission, but still, they did not have the necessary missions to participate. That would have sucked. But it will make their mission log look really interesting on the exam with the cards.

To those reviewers out there who have kept up with me, thanks for your support and being patient. And to GHOK (you know who you are) I'm so sorry for not responding to messages recently. Had to get this finished before I planned further. However, that will happen more now that things are moving again.

Grad school continues to eat life. Will publish when I can, and they will be big and meaty like this one. Hope you all enjoy, and as always, READ AND REVIEW!


	13. Chapter 13: Young Dog, New Tricks II

I know, again, so soon? What can I say, I have a compulsion…it's a personal problem I guess. Hope you all enjoy my personal problems. As always,

I OWN NOTHING BUT THE ORIGINAL STUFF!

xXxXxXx

Naruto woke up with a pounding head and stiff joints everywhere. 'Jiraiya sure worked me on that clone jutsu last night…still, he seemed impressed that I got it down so fast.' Grinning to himself, Naruto quickly created a clone and smiled at himself.

"Alright, now get to work making breakfast for us, ok? I'm going to get my gear together, I'll meet you in the living room." The clone nodded to Naruto before jogging off to do as told. Naruto smiled at the technique going to work. 'Little expensive if I have to keep buying food for the sucker, but totally worth it…can't wait to start experimenting with the Inuzuka techniques with this…'

Naruto jumped out of bed and started putting on his gear. A black shirt and black shinobi pants came first, then mesh armor overtop the black shirt. On top of that he put his old clan armor, plates of metal covered with leather. This was finally covered up with his clan jacket, a new black version with russet trim on the wrists and neck, as well as around the hood. Finally, he pulled on his headband, holding his bangs back, as well as black shinobi sandals and archers gloves. Picking up his black bow and quiver of black arrows, Naruto paused as he looked over his wardrobe. 'You know, after this exam is over, I might need a change of clothes, get some more color worked into it…I like the russet, but something brighter might be more fun to learn to hide in the shadows…'

Naruto brushed this thought aside and rushed into the kitchen. His clone looked up worriedly from the burning range of eggs, and Naruto yelped before rushing to help himself make breakfast. Jiraiya walked out his door at this point, took one look at the scene, grunted, and went back into his room. "Must have drunk too much after Naruto got the shadow clone down, I'm seeing double…"

xXxXxXx

Naruto arrived panting at the team meeting place. Sakura and Sasuke were already there, both looking perfectly groomed and attired as well. Sasuke had on his standard blue Uchiha shirt, white arm warmers, and white shorts, along with blue sandals. His forehead protector was around his head as well, with his tanto secured behind his back, the grip extending on his right side. He nodded as Naruto approached, and then turned his attention back to a leaf in his hand.

Sakura seemed to have gone with her red battle dress for the day, its cut open in the front and cinching together at the solar plexus. It ended near her waist, where battle shorts extended down to the backs of her mid-thigh. Long black boots made up most of the distance, covered in plates of metal. Her whips hung at her sides, and her hair was up in a bun, keeping it out of her face. She turned and gave Naruto a once over, before sighing in a motherly sort of way.

"You were late to our morning meeting Naruto…if Kakashi ever shows up on time you could have gotten reprimanded." Though she was being stern to Naruto, there was no actual anger or threat in her voice. She brushed a few bits of dirt and grime off of him before she stepped back to join the others.

"Yeah, but when is scarecrow ever going to show up on time…he's ALWAYS three hours late, it never changes. We just sit here and do our own training all morning til he shows his sorry ass.." Naruto hopped up onto a pole and pulled a leaf out of his pocket. Then, remembering Jiraiya's advice about training got a downright evil look on his face.

"Hey Sasuke, want to see how the second best is going to outdo the rookie of the year?" Sasuke turned a disbelieving look towards Naruto, who merely smirked in response and placed his hands in a cross symbol. "Behold, the wonders of being a Jinchuuriki…Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Clouds filled the bridge where the three of them met, and the bridge suddenly groaned under a massive amount of weight. When it cleared, there were literally a thousand Naruto's running around the place, many of them wild and rambunctious.

"What the hell did you do, blockhead?" Sasuke's voice was stuck in awe; he'd seen the technique performed, but he hadn't had his Sharingan activated, so he hadn't copied it.

"They are all real clones, who give me their memories when they disperse. And here's how that's going to help!" Naruto turned and addressed the assembled black clad mob, "Hey, idiots! Grab a leaf and get to training on wind manipulation, you got that?"

A deafening roar returned to Naruto; "Right, idiot!"

"He's really got issues doesn't he, calling himself idiot twice?" Sakura commented idly to Sasuke, who chuckled, and broke out into a rare laugh. He quickly caught himself and turned to Naruto seriously.

"So, this will let you train at a thousand times the normal pace on ninjutsu, but they can't transfer taijutsu or genjutsu training, can they?" Naruto shook his head at Sasuke's question, his grin lessening a little bit.

"And from the looks of it, you had to use some of the fox's chakra to create this horde, so I definitely create this many to train with…probably would end up slowing me down on the more difficult techniques due to chakra loss…" Naruto nodded as well, and was about to open his mouth when he felt a sudden chill of blood lust targeted at him.

"That's right…not to mention a number of other risks, which is why I'm rather curious as to how Naruto learned this technique, when I know I didn't pass it on to him…" Kakashi suddenly appeared on the bridge, looking fairly cross with Naruto.

"It was Jiraiya's fault, he taught me! Besides, this will allow me to get REALLY good at ninjutsu, right? Like really really good, so that can be my niche on the team!" Naruto seemed really nervous as Kakashi stared him down, and the jounin sighed once before nodding in acceptance. "Haha, awesome! I won't let you down, Kakashi-sensei! I'll make sure I make this technique my signature trademark!"

"Well, for your own safety then, you should know something about using them for training…you get all of their mental stress as well, so if you dispel them at the end of the day, it will be like you trained for a thousand days without rest…" Naruto sweat dropped a bit at that, and Sasuke's smile returned.

"Don't catch up just to pass out for a week blockhead. Drop a few of them throughout the day, and you'll be fine. Start now so it goes slowly, otherwise you'll end up braindead. More than you already are." Naruto growled at Sasuke, but nodded towards the boy. Forming his hand back into the cross symbol, which Sasuke now recognized as a clone seal, random puffs of smoke began to go out across the bridge. In a matter of moments, Naruto grimaced, and then fell down on the ground, his hands holding him up.

"How many did you release?" Naruto grimaced at Kakashi's question, and mumbled out something that couldn't be heard that well.

"About a tenth, I'd say…" Naruto's voice was stronger on the second try, but his eyes lit with a new fire. "But check it out…" Naruto grabbed a leaf from his leaf bag, and in a few seconds, had a slit running ninety percent or more through it. "With this, I can finish today…looks like you better hurry up Uchiha, or I'll pass you by…" Sasuke shrugged, and smirked at Naruto.

"Wouldn't have it any other way, keeps things interesting…" Sasuke's smirk was challenging, and Kakashi coughed lightly at the interplay. Pulling a set of documents from his jounin vest, Kakashi coughed once more and handed them out to his students.

"You alright there, Kakashi-sensei? You seem to be coming down with a cough?" The jounin coughed again, and waved Naruto off, pointing to the paper instead.

"It's just a little something going around the upper ranks these days…some guys have it way worse than I do…" Kakashi coughed once more, "Now then, these are the Chuunin Exam forms. To participate, you need to sign there and bring them to the designated testing area by…" Kakashi was cut off by a paper shoved in his face.

"I'm done!" Naruto handed a sheet into Kakashi, followed closely by Sakura and Sasuke. "There's no way we're not taking this exam, Kakashi-sensei, just point us to where we need to go!" Kakashi sighed heavily.

"It says on the sheet where you need to go to turn it in, morons. Seriously, what is with the lot of you today?" All three of them shrugged in response, Naruto's animated, and the others rather muted in comparison.

"We just want to get stuff done, you know? We've been doing lame missions for a week straight! We need some excitement, and this is it!" Kakashi sighed again, and shook his head.

'It would figure…my first genin team in a decade, and they want the hard, suicidal missions…'

"Just be at the designated place with the forms signed…I'll see you all there tomorrow." With that, Kakashi disappeared off to the rooftops.

"Heh, the nerve of that guy, just running off like that!" Naruto turned to find that he had been left alone on the bridge. "Oh come on, not again!"

"Hey, idiot, did you want more of us to dispel yet?" Naruto turned to look at the rest of them, and just shook his head.

"Stop calling me idiot! And yeah, keep dispelling in sets of two hundred over two hour shifts. I'm going to see if distance from you guys can mitigate the feelings…" Naruto turned and ran from the area, heading towards his apartment. 'Wonder if the old perv has a trick for making the backlash suck less…'

xXxXxXx

Naruto approached his house with a bit of unease; he still wasn't comfortable with the new living arrangements. Jiraiya had selected a run-down building in Konoha's red light district, and had repainted it red and yellow. 'Thing looks like a giant burger stand…'

The building was also perfectly square, with the basement sealed off from the outside. The old hermit had converted the apartment complex into a double story home. The ground floor held Naruto and Jiraiya's room, with a kitchen, shared bathroom, and a living room included. Stairs outside led to an upstairs area that Jiraiya claimed was for 'business entertainment'. What business necessitated a jacuzzi, bar, and giant king bed with satin was beyond Naruto's understanding…though his imagination provided a few guesses.

"No, no, a thousand times no!" The sound of Jiraiya's voice was coming from the basement of the house. "You have to form and draw the lines this way, if you're going to get this right. Besides, I shouldn't even be teaching you, your jounin said that you were to start after the Chuunin Exam!" Naruto's ears perked up at that, and he fired off a quick echolocation burst. At close distances he could know make out familiar shapes well enough to discern friend from foe. A smile lit Naruto's face as he charged into the house and down the spiral staircase in the corner.

"Tenten, I didn't know that you were coming over!" Naruto found himself surrounded on all sides by dozens upon dozens of scrolls and tomes. They covered the walls, which were filled with storage. Tenten sat at a table, her hair undone and spilling behind her. She had her blouse on, but the top button was undone; it was slightly stuffy in the basement, and Naruto removed his jacket as well as he came closer to the group.

"Naruto! I thought you'd be busy with your team the whole day!" Naruto shook his head, but smiled more upon seeing her up close. The scroll work and the stuffy room had added a nice sheen to the skin on her face, giving it a patina look.

"Nah, Kakashi-sensei let us out early after giving us the sign-up for the Chuunin Exam." Tenten smiled at that, and motioned for him to sit next to her.

"Hi Jiraiya, thanks for teaching me yesterday…yeah, no problem kid, I know I'm pretty great…" Jiraiya grumbled to himself as Naruto approached, and paused when the kid suddenly turned and spun to face him.

"Oh! Why didn't you tell me about the mental backlash with training with too many clones?" Jiraiya blinked and then realized what Naruto was talking about.

"Usually isn't an issue with ten or even twenty, so I figured you be alright." Jiraiya felt Naruto's gaze tighten on him, and got a little miffed himself, "Why, how many are you making, brat?"

"Try around a thousand or so, you idiot!" Jiraiya felt his jaw drop slightly, and then he blinked several times in worry.

"That's…that's quite a few…um, I have a recommendation though!" Naruto rolled his hand in a continuing motion, "You should have some of them do relaxing activities like napping. You get mental stress, as well as mental rest from your clones." Naruto nodded to this, and then smiled at Tenten.

"Check out my new technique! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A new Naruto popped into existence beside them, and Tenten looked at it rather oddly.

"It's just a clone though…" She reached out to put her hand through it, and felt her eyes widen when they stopped move around his thigh, "It's a solid clone! That's awesome! No element either…man, I'm jealous of that one."

"I'll teach you if you hang out with me today." Tenten blinked in surprise, before nodding agreement.

"Woah kid, don't go teaching that to anyone! That's a super-secret move, too many people know it or know you have it and it goes down in power. Teach it to her, and teammates, but no one else!" Naruto blinked, but nodded in agreement to Jiraiya.

"Alright, head off to the training clones and tell half of them to start napping immediately." The clone saluted sharply and headed out the door.

"I'm going to leave you two alone to talk for a bit…when Tenten came over she mentioned that you're refusing to date her for some reason…now's the time to talk that out before the exam…" Jiraiya left the basement, and Naruto suddenly felt the pressure build in the room considerably.

Sitting down next to Tenten, Naruto felt himself stiffen considerably. His mouth felt acrid, and his hands trembled slightly, the wood giving under his clawed grip a bit. 'Why do I have to tell the first person who likes me…I know why, but why now?' Naruto shook himself, and turned to look at Tenten intensively.

"I like you too Tenten, but…the thing you need to know about me has to do with seals, I guess…" Tenten nodded toward Naruto, afraid of saying anything just yet. "You were really good at studying storage seals, right? Maybe a visual demonstration is better…" Naruto stood and removed his shirt, causing Tenten to blink in surprise a bit.

"What are you doing?" Tenten's eyes played over Naruto's body with interest. He was toned with muscle like any shinobi, but he had none of the scars that covered most young ninja's. She had many herself, so she was surprised by his lack of any.

"I'm showing you my seal…my burden." Naruto focused chakra throughout his body, and felt the seal begin to trace itself across his abdomen. The seal formed in a tight spiral in the center, with eight complex lines of text tracing out and away from the center spiral. Coming away from those, and wrapping around his back and descending beneath the hem of his pants were long fang marks of the Inuzuka. They were in sets of two, and formed a six pointed star it seems, though the bottom two points were hidden from view.

"It's gorgeous…but what is this complex seal housing? It's a storage seal, and an advanced one at that…I can't even make out half of these markings…" Tenten reached forward, and her hand traced over the marks. Naruto flinched at the contact, and pulled away, lowering his shirt.

"The fourth Hokage couldn't kill the nine-tailed fox, he had to seal it. It was sealed into me, as I was his son. The nine-tailed fox, along with the eight other legendary demons, are sealed into people like me, sons of past or present kage usually, to be used as weapons for their village in times of war." Tenten felt her eyes widen as she looked at Naruto, and took in all of his various changes. The new black markings around his eyes, the claws, the thick lines on his cheeks, and she suddenly realized they were markings similar to a fox.

After several moments of staring, Tenten smiled lightly, and reached out and took Naruto's hand. "So what…I don't care that you're the demon-host for our village, or that your dad was the fourth, though that is pretty awesome. You're Naruto…I like the odd boy who uses a bow and is determined to be Hokage. I don't think this demon thing will change that." Naruto's smile practically broke through his face, but he pulled himself back from reaching out and hugging her.

"There's more though…before I knew what this power was, I lost control of it. During the mission in wave, when Kurama died…" Naruto paused to gather his breath as it started to slip into hysterics, "…when Kurama died, I ended up killing two civilians I'd sworn to protect. I did it while in the foxes rage, people I cared for…you have to make sure to stay away from me if I lose it, unless you can learn some way to pull me back…" Tenten nodded at that, and rubbed at her own arms.

"You ever wonder why I don't use explosive tags with my thrown projectiles?" Naruto shook his head at that, and Tenten grimaced before continuing. "I caused a civilian death when I was first starting as well Naruto…one of my explosive kunai went wide from an enemy ninja, ended up landing a girl and her mom. The mom survived, but the little girl died in the explosion." Tenten started to shake at her revelation a bit, and Naruto reached a hand out to grasp hers.

"You didn't mean that though…just like I didn't with Inari and Tsunami." Tenten nodded to Naruto, and slipped her fingers into his. "So…does this mean we're dating now?" Tenten laughed a bit, and smiled at Naruto.

"Let's just see what happens for a little while, ok?" Naruto nodded to that, and Tenten leaned forward and quickly kissed him on the cheek. "Did I ever tell you that I like blondes better?"

Naruto was about to reply when a resounding crash came from upstairs. Various yelling could be heard, including a cry of "Brat, get up here!" Naruto sighed, and smiled lazily at Tenten who was putting her hair up in a bun again.

"Come on, we better go. Don't want to get you in trouble, you know?" Naruto nodded to Tenten, picking up his discarded jacket as he went, along with his bow and quiver. At the top of the steps an unruly sight greeted him.

"Hey boss! You said you'd play ninja with me and my friends today, remember!" Naruto smacked a palm into his forehead as Konohamaru and his friends stood proudly in his doorway. Konohamaru had a blue scarf wrapped around his neck, a yellow shirt with a Konoha symbol in the center, and brown shorts with knee pads built in. A pair of goggles were slapped across his head, in imitation of a headband it seemed, shooting his spiky brown hair everywhere.

His two friends seemed similarly attired with goggles, and Naruto noted they all had matching blue shinobi sandals as well. Udon had glasses and a mop top of brown hair, and snot running from his nose onto his large grey shirt and brown pants. Moegi had her bright orange hair up in pigtails with green ribbons tying the hair off, a red tank top over a pink shirt and brown shorts making up her ensemble.

"A full grown ninja, playing ninja?" Tenten turned a questioning eye on Naruto, who laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, it's kind of a favor to the Hokage…I watch his grandson from time to time, and the old man helps me with keeping my files and stuff up to date…" Tenten nodded at that, realizing that it made as much sense as anything else Naruto did.

"So, boss, who's the cute girl there huh? She your girlfriend?" Naruto turned a smirking smile on Tenten, who mouthed no at him simply. Naruto's smile grew larger.

"Yeah, can't you tell! Tenten and I have been together forever!" Jiraiya winced as he saw the blow coming, but smiled to himself as he wrote madly in his notebook.

"Naruto, get back here you idiot! I told you not to go around telling people that yet!" Naruto had bolted out the door, Konohamaru and his friends running alongside him.

"Man, you sure pick violent ones boss!" A shriek from Tenten informed them both that she had heard the last remark.

"Konohamaru, shut up and run, you idiot!"

xXxXxXx

"Jeez…Look at them all…It's a sea of idiotic Naruto's…" Shikamaru shook his head as he watched a field of Naruto's bent over a leaf, several of them disappearing now and again. Some had arrived earlier and then half of them had switched to taking naps. 'Sounds like a good idea in my opinion…be nice to float away, though maybe not with so many mes around…'

xXxXxXx

Sakura traipsed away from her group, keeping to the shadows of the streets. 'If I'm lucky, I'll get a day off with no Danzo as well…' A rag of chloroform over her face told her otherwise rather quickly, 'Again?! Damnit all…'

Sakura woke up in a blank room, similar to every other time the shadow master had summoned her. There was no indication of direction or location, and all the walls were a perfect white wash. 'This is really damned annoying…_**why can't we just kill and eat this bastard already?**__' _Sakura quieted the split personality, shaking her head at its carnivorous bent.

"You have entered the Chuunin Exams from what I have heard…"Danzo's voice came from everywhere at once, and Sakura merely nodded in confirmation. "Good. I have a mission for you then. It has become obvious that you have developed a romantic relationship with Neji Hyuuga. Normally, for your mental sake, I would order you break off such relations." Sakurar felt her stomach tighten in fear at the thought of losing Neji.

'He's the one normal thing I have! _**I'll kill him if he takes him away!**_' Sakura agreed with the inner voice for once, and felt her anger rise to the surface slightly.

"However, for the time being it is necessary that you pursue such a relationship. There a motions that the branch family would want to stage a revolution, involving outside parties to act on their behest against the main family…I want you to investigate these rumors more fully, using your relationship to gain access to the Hyuuga compound." Sakura felt bile rise at the back of her throat, remembering the imprisonment that the branch family suffered, and wanting nothing to do with continuing that.

"Your other missions are to investigate the hidden sound village, a new group that has entered operatives into the exam. If at all possible, capture one of them, and a ROOT member will make sure that you are met to extract the ninja for interrogation. You'll know the ROOT member by his cards." Sakura nodded to that; she had no qualms capturing a foreign ninja, Danzo's teachings had brought her to that realization as a necessity after only a few days of training.

"Good, with that, you are dismissed. The door is open." A panel slid away, revealing a blackness outside the room. Sakura turned and walked out the door, finding herself suddenly in a storage closet. Exiting, she emerged from the market street, and made her way towards a side street.

'So much for avoiding Danzo…' Sakura was musing idly on this, and her new missions, when a sudden impact knocked her to the ground.

"Hey, watch where the hell you're…Naruto?" Naruto blinked up at Sakura in surprise, and smiled worriedly.

"heheh, sorry Sakura, got to go, running from angry girlfriend." Naruto stood up and bolted from the scene, Konohamaru fast behind.

"Boss, that girl's forehead was huge! Is that the crazy teammate you tell me about sometimes?" Naruto tried to clamp a hand over Konohamaru's mouth, but Sakura had definitely heard. An old but familiar fire seemed to light in her eyes, and Naruto just glared at Konohamaru.

"Great going, idiot, now there's a second girl after us!" Turning to look, Naruto saw Tenten show up and hand Sakura a weapon or two to throw, which the pink haired girl gladly accepted. "Oh crap, we're so screwed…"

"Yeah, I know! Ooomphf!" Konohamaru fell to the ground, having run into a rather solid body in front of him.

"Hey, watch where you're going brat!"

xXxXxXx

Kakashi sighed as he stood in line with Guy to hand in paperwork at the tower. 'I just know that with a day off the lot of them will end up in some sort of trouble…'

"Don't worry too much Kakashi! Your team made it through an S-Rank alive, at such a young age. For them, the Chuunin Exams will be a cake walk!" Guy gave him a nice guy smile, and Kakashi grinned underneath his mask. Guy would never see that though.

"Oh yeah, they are entering aren't they? I was more worried about what to do with Anko for our evening together tonight…" Kakashi lied smoothly, loving the comical reaction it always got out of his rival.

"So, Naruto and his team are entering as well, I take it?" Iruka sat behind the desk, smiling up at Kakashi and Guy as they approached the front of the line. Iruka had a scar running across his face, and a brown skin, tanned from hours in the sun recently. His forehead protector was on his head, and straight brown hair drawn back into a ponytail. He had a chuunin's flak jacket on, and standard black shinobi shirt, pants, and sandals.

"Yeah, they've recovered from the Mission to Wave, and are doing quite nicely from the looks of things." Iruka nodded at Kakashi as he stamped a couple of papers.

"Naruto and his teammates getting along well? I was worried about putting him and Sasuke together as they always compete so much…" Kakashi laughed lightly at that as he picked up his forms.

"Well, it's true they argue a lot, but it drives both of them further. They've definitely grown enough to give you a fair challenge." Iruka smiled at this, and nodded in acceptance. "I'd even be willing to be that they sweep through to the final rounds." Iruka and Guy both looked up at that, and a grin spread on both of their faces.

"Willing to bet Kakashi?" Kakashi grinned, and nodded in agreement.

"Losers have to pay for Naruto's ramen after the exams…I'm betting that at least one of my students wins the whole thing." Guy nodded in agreement to that, remembering the ruinous cost such a meal could become.

"Deal. Sounds good to me." The three men nodded to each other, and said pleasant farewells as they went to go about their tasks.

'I just hope Naruto doesn't run into anyone too deadly this year…'

xXxXxXx

"That hurt, you brat…" A large shinobi, easily in his later teens, reached down and picked Konohamaru off the ground. His face was covered in purple paint, and he had a black body wrap that covered him head to toe. There was a strange symbol on his chest of a circle split into a purple and yellow half. On his head was a headband that seemed to have a stylized roman letter I etched in the center. On his back was a strange mummified contraption.

A girl stood next to him, also in her later teens, with sandy blonde hair done up in matching pigtails. Her face was fair, and she had piercing green eyes. A purple-white dress covered her form, with a red sash around her waist, and a long thick piece of metal strapped to her back. She wore mesh armor underneath the dress, and it could be seen going down to her closed sandal feet on her right leg, and over both shoulders above the dress top. Her headband was wrapped around her neck like a bandana, and bore a similar mark to the other boy.

"That hurt you little piece of shit!" the boy yelled right into Konohamaru's face, and the boy cried out, struggling against the hold.

"Konohamaru!" Naruto called out in distress, and turned to see Sakura and Tenten approaching calmly. "You need to put him down! That's the grandson of our Hokage!"

"What the hell do I care? I'm the eldest son of the Kazekage, you twerp!" Naruto blinked at that slightly, and started feeling the boy out with his chakra sensing.

'He doesn't seem like a jinchuuriki like me…then again, how would I know, never tried to sense myself…'

"Don't, we'll get yelled at later." The girls voice seemed firm and determined, but the boy blew her off as well.

"Hey, Fatass, let go of him!" Naruto's eyes narrowed, and he felt a rush of bloodlust enter his system.

'Hmm…this leaf genin looks serious…' Kankuro smiled at the coming challenge, "Let's play a little before the boss comes…" He tightened his grip on Konohamaru, getting a groan from the kid as he hoisted him higher. Naruto rushed at Kankuro, and the sand ninja pulled trip wires against him.

Naruto surprised Kankuro by rolling with the trip and coming within serious striking distance. Temari quickly stepped between to block, but Naruto disappeared in a sudden burst of speed and appeared behind her, his claws poised over her neck.

"Drop him now, or the girl gets it…" Naruto's voice dripped with venom, and Kankuro felt his stomach tighten as he saw Naruto's eyes turn blood red and become slitted. A terrible aura was leeching off of Naruto, and it was far too familiar for Kankuro's tastes.

"Don't worry Naruto, you're not the only one who can do stuff…" Naruto blinked as Konohamaru quickly turned into a mud clone of Sakura. The girl's chain whip cracked out and suddenly had Kankuro ensnared in sharp metal points.

"When did…" Sakura smirked up at the boy, "when he charged, you pulled a switch and genjutsu as well…" The girl's smile grew wider.

"Well, it looks like your friend here has some brains after all…go on and step back Naruto, I've got him here." Naruto nodded and moved back towards Tenten. As he did, another Sakura and Konohamaru came into view as well. The Sakura next to Kankuro crumbled away, leaving the groups of Shinobi at a standstill.

"So…you going to apologize for acting like an ass?" Naruto stared Kankuro, and he felt his anger spiking still. 'I didn't even activate the all-four's, but I can feel it running through my system…I really want to activate it, but I don't know if that's a good idea or not…'

Kankuro just scoffed in disagreement, before reaching to pull the object from his back. Before he could though, a stone flashed out and hit him in the hand.

"You might want to rethink attacking them a bit…seeing as you're outnumbered now." Sasuke looked down on the group from the trees, pausing for a second to stand to his full height. Kankuro flinched in surprise at Sasuke's presence, but pulled his hand away from the object on his back. "You might also want to explain why you're acting like an ass…" Kankuro scoffed again, looking away from the group.

"Basically I hate midgets. Especially younger ones that are rude…makes me want to kill them." He said all this while turning to stare at Naruto.

"That tears it then, I'll show you what sort of midget I am!" Naruto growled again after that, realizing he'd insulted himself as well, "All Four's Jutsu!" The air grew oppressive in the alleyway, Naruto's chakra spiking dangerously. Kankuro stepped back, and looked on in fear as Naruto rose from the ground. His shoulders seemed wider somehow, and his canines extended past his jaw. His claws were seriously pronounced now, and his facial markings considerably darkened. His eyes were full red, and there were long slits of black running down their center.

"**Still want to try and kill me, fatass?"** Naruto's voice came out more gravelly than normal, and Kankuro took another step back in fear.

"I'm good…I really think I'm good…" Kankuro pulled back and away from Naruto, actual fear entering his voice. 'This one's just like Gaara…I didn't know the leaf had a jinchuuriki, but apparently they do…shit, not good, he needs to tone it down before…'

"I apologize for their actions." A young boy with red hair suddenly appeared in the alley. He had a large tan gourd on his back, and had fair skin and green eyes. There were rings around his eyes, reminding Naruto of his own, as well as the Chinese character for love above his left eye. He had no eyebrows that were visible. He was wearing a black full body suit, with short sleeves and three-quarter leggings. The front was open slightly around the neck. A white cloth draped over his right shoulder and wrapped around the left side of his waist. A leather band, holding up the large gourd, ran from his left shoulder down to the right side of his hips. Black shinobi sandals with closed toes completed his outfit.

"My name is Gaara. The boy is Kankuro, and the girl is Temari, they are my siblings. We are from Sunagakure, and have come to participate in the Chuunin Exams. I hope you are also competing." Though Naruto wasn't sure, he could tell that the admission was directed towards Naruto and Sasuke, though also slightly at Sakura.

'I didn't even notice him approach…Kakashi's probably the only one I know better than him at sneaking up…'

Sasuke jumped down and landed in front of Naruto. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha, and my blonde teammate back there is Naruto Inuzuka. My pink haired teammate is Sakura Haruno. And yes, we are competing in the exam as well." Gaara nodded to them, his face more impassive than Kakashi could ever have hoped to match.

"That's good. I look forward to fighting you all in the finals. Come Kankuro." Kankuro sputtered a sort of rebuttal, but Gaara turned to give him a murderous glare, "Shut up. I'll kill you." Kankuro fell in, and Temari followed along, blowing a kiss towards Sasuke and Naruto's direction.

"Leave you alone for a few hours, and look what trouble you get into…" Sasuke chided Naruto, who merely scoffed in return.

"I had it under control, you didn't need to interfere…" Naruto turned away from Sasuke, a false pout etched on his face. Sasuke shook his head and laughed.

"So…I'm going to head back home now, I've had enough excitement for today Naruto…" Konohamaru and Udon and Moegi all concurred on this note, and Naruto nodded. He made a quick shadow clone, and told it to get them home before dispelling. The clone nodded and trundled off with them.

"That sounds like a good idea to me as well…" Sakura lit out from the group, Sasuke nodding as well, and heading off.

"Sorry about all that Tenten, guess that was rather tense." Tenten nodded, her thoughts playing over the interaction, and how she'd had to stay back the whole time.

'Being a ranged combatant is less enjoyable when you can't participate as much…and Naruto was downright terrifying with his chakra output there…'

"When you used the All Fours Jutsu…that was the fox, wasn't it?" Naruto nodded to Tenten's question, and the girl shuddered a bit, "That's some power you were throwing around there, blondie…be careful with it, alright?" Naruto nodded to her, his face downtrodden a bit.

"It was still Sakura who saved the day, and Sasuke who made it all backdown…I just looked like a terrifying brawler." Tenten leaned over and kissed Naruto on the cheek suddenly, wrapping an arm about his waist.

"Hey, as the ranged specialist who needs a brawler in front of her to work, I'm glad you're terrifying." Naruto smiled at that, and then surprised Tenten by kissing her full on the lips suddenly. She melted slightly against it, though it was odd to be leaning down for a kiss instead of up. 'Oh well…he's still got time to grow…'

xXxXxXx

"So, what do you think?" A scraggly voiced passed to another as they sat in a nearby tree. There was a thin boy, and larger, stockier set one, along with a girl, though details about them were hidden in shadow.

"We have our work cut out for us…all three of his teammates seem powerful...killing our target is going to be a real challenge."

"So long as we kill the target, I really don't care what happens…" The girl's voice was hard, and seemed to be steeped in rage.

xXxXxXx

"Know then, you know why you all have been assembled. We will now here nominations for the Chuunin Exam from the new genin teams." The Hokage's voice filled his private office, his pipe smoke wafting around all the members gathered therein.

Asuma Sarutobi stepped forward, a small smile on the man's face. Kurenai and Kakashi joined him a second later, their faces a tad bit more serious. Many of the gathered jounin drew in breath at the boldness of all three captains.

"Asuma, Kurenai, and Kakashi…Well? Are there any genin you'd like to enter into this Chuunin Selection Exam?" The old man's voice carried more weight than seemed natural, his gaze locked onto all three of the ninja in front of him.

"I don't think I need to remind you that after a team has properly completed at least eight missions, they are eligible for the nomination. Normally, we would hold this meeting a week before the exam start, but due to some complications from one of your teams," a knowing look was flashed toward Kakashi, "We have extended the deadline until the last possible second…I'm mostly doing this out of a favor to the Daimyo, who informed me that I should not stand in the way of Naruto's 'blossoming' career…" Kakashi nodded at this, and formed his hand into the sign of assent.

"The Kakashi led Team Seven, Uchiha Sasuke, Inuzuka Naruto, Haruno Sakura, under the name of Hatake Kakashi, are nominated to the Chuunin Selection Exam." Several murmurs went around the crowd at this, but many seemed to have accepted that fact.

"The Kurenai led Team Eight, Hyuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, under the name Yuhi Kurenai, are nominated for the Chuunin Exam." Several comments went around at this, many more agitated in the background.

"The Asuma led team 10, Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, under the name of Sarutobi Asuma, are nominated to the Chuunin Selection Exam." Now there was outright rabble in the room, many groups surprised that all of the rookie led teams were being nominated.

"You guys sure it's wise to nominate all of them? Especially with the newly revealed village jinchuuriki in the exam?" Mizuki stepped forward at this, a scowl set on his face as he confronted the three jounin. "I may be speaking out of place, but these nine were all my students at the academy. Sure, they have talent, but isn't it a bit early for them to take the exam?" Kakashi chuckled at this, turning towards Mizuki with a lazy stare.

"Why Mizuki, I never figured you as the caring type! I wouldn't worry though, I became a Chuunin at age six, and this group shows a similar level of talent. Unless you're doubting an Anbu captain's judgement?" Tension seemed to hang in the air at this comment, and Mizuki pulled back slightly in fear.

"I'm just saying, these kids are different from you Kakashi. This exam could crush them…" Kakashi chuckled and stepped forward. He placed his hand on Mizuki's shoulder, his eyes boring into Mizuki's calmly.

"Sounds like fun…crushing them. Plus, they are always complaining about the missions…this could be good for them. I know my group will handle this exam just fine after their first trip out of the village." Mizuki flinched at the reminder, and felt the weight of the stare many were giving him. "Right now, Mizuki, these kids are my soldiers. Back off." Mizuki nodded and stepped back into line.

'Damn…Orochimaru didn't want Sasuke participating in the exam…it would have been easier to snipe him if he was at home training then in the exams…this complicates matters…' Mizuki grimaced, using his embarrassment to hide his real trouble from the group.

Several other groups were nominated and the meeting, including a number of last minute coordination, was carried out over the course of the day.

xXxXxXx

"Hey, Sakura! Sasuke!" Naruto ran up to the group, his black gear and bow strapped securely to his back. Sakura and Sasuke stood next to each other, Sakura looking around worriedly. They both had on their red and blue outfits like usual.

"Jeez, really starting to make it a habit of being late, aren't you blockhead?" Naruto stuck his tongue out at Sasuke, then offered a fist to bump. The Uchiha surprised him by returning it.

"Like I'd miss our first and only Chuunin Selection Exam! We're going to kick this so hard we all become Chuunin on the first try!" Sakura shook her head at her teammates enthusiasm, then went back to observing the surroundings.

"Hey, you looking for someone, Sakura? Your new lover Neji? Ooh, if you spot him, Tenten can't be too far behind!" Sakura turned to correct him, but the blonde cut her off with his enthusiasm, "Hey, there they are! We should strategize for this thing!" Sakura smiled and nodded, though Sasuke kept a wary eye on them.

"You guys nervous for this thing?" Naruto sauntered up to the martial artist team, draping an arm comfortably around Tenten's waist who leaned comfortably back into him. She was wearing a Chinese pink top with no sleeves, and brown pants. Her brown hair was up in buns, and she had a small smile on her face for her new boy.

"Not too much. Remember, we have a year's more experience than you guys! Though Lee does have a crazy plan…" Tenten almost flinched at how fast Lee turned to her with eyes burning full of passion.

"It is NOT a crazy plan! It is a plan of great youthfulness and vigor! We will…" Neji gave Lee a questioning look, and Lee dropped his volume to a conspiratorial whisper, "We will appear weak to the other teams, so other weak teams will hunt us out and we can defeat them easily. It's foolproof!" Sasuke scoffed, drawing Lee's attention.

"Yeah, as in only a fool would think of it." Lee turned an aggressive look towards Sasuke.

"Then let's hear your plan, my cool and hip rival." Lee seemed to have a lot of pent up energy, and Sasuke merely sighed before smirking angrily.

"Simple. We go in looking tough, so when we hunt down a weak team, they are intimidated and fall all the easier. Appear strong and even strong teams will leave you alone. Appear weak, and everyone will be after you." Neji and the others nodded at this, and Lee seemed to mull it over.

"Perhaps a combination of the two then is in order?" Sasuke smiled and nodded at this, "Alright then, I'll go in and get 'kicked around' by the gate guards, and then you intercede and show off. Then, I'll intercede and show my true strength." Sasuke smiled though he frowned a bit at the mention of gate guards.

"There are always Chuunin who guard a false entrance. We heard about it last year from others who took the exam in our year." Sasuke nodded to Neji, a small smile forming on his face.

"A test before we even reach the first test…I like how this works." Naruto smiled as well, and the two groups agreed to meet up later. Sakura hung back for a second to talk to Neji.

"Neji, when this is all over, can I visit the compound?" Neji turned a surprised eye toward her, but nodded once in agreement. The girl smiled, and kissed him on the cheek, turning away before he could see the look of guilt settling on her face.

xXxXxXx

"Heh…planning on taking the exam with that weak crap? You should just quit now." Lee fell back to the ground, a hand covering his mouth from a simple blow. A short ninja stood in front of him, a bandages marking a triangle like shape on a face with spiky hair. The hair was held back by a headband, and he wore a standard Chuunin flak jacket.

"You're still just a little kid…go on home." There was a gathered crowd around the door, and a teammate stood with the bandaged man, also obviously a Chuunin. He had a hood over his face, his headband across his forehead, and a flak jacket covering standard garb. Tenten moved forward, attempting to approach the door.

"Please, just let us through…" Her response was a quick kick to the stomach, sending her back to where Lee had fallen.

Naruto watched, his fists tightening by his side. Sasuke held a hand on his shoulder, holding him back from advancing. "She wasn't supposed to get hit…that wasn't part of the plan…" Naruto hissed to Sasuke, anger coursing through the young Inuzuka.

"Shut up Naruto. She's a kunoichi, she can handle it. Be proud you have a strong woman as your partner." Sasuke's words calmed Naruto a bit, but Sasuke could tell that Naruto was biting his cheek to keep still.

"Listen up, the lot of you! This is our kindness. The Chuunin Exam isn't easy…even we failed it three times straight…Those that take this exam and quit being shinobi, those that die during it, we've seen it all. You all get that those who pass become military captains, right? The failure of a mission, the death of a comrade or a village…kids like you think you're up for that?" Sasuke knew this was his moment to step forward, rising through the ranks with a smooth grace. Naruto and Sakura trailed along behind him.

"I agree, but…you will let me pass through. And remove the genjutsu surrounding this area. I'm going to the third floor, and passing this exam with my team." Sasuke stood proud and tall, causing the guards to look at him with surprise.

"So you noticed, huh? Well, not bad…but all you did was see through it!" The bandage one of the duo flashed forward, a vicious roundhouse aimed for Sasuke's head. Sasuke prepared a return attack, but Lee suddenly flashed in between, catching both of their kicks. Many in the gathered crowd flinched back at that, suddenly realizing the earlier display had been an act.

"We are going as well. Any others who think they can keep up are welcome to join." Lee's voice was solid, and nerve-bitingly cold. Many eyes flinched away, and the two gate guards scoffed before disappearing in puffs of smoke.

As the groups filtered in through the doorway, Sasuke felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he found himself facing a young girl, of around his age. She had long black hair, down to her shoulders, and bright green eyes. She had pale skin, and wore a black halter top and long black skirt, with mesh armor underneath. Her arms were covered in segmented plates here or there, and she had a large medical pouch and ninja pouch, one on each side of her hips.

"I take it you are Sasuke Uchiha…and that your teammate, Inuzuka Naruto is also of the Namikaze Clan?" her voice was ice cold, and she seemed to have eyes that were boring into Sasuke's soul. Reflexively, Sasuke activated his Sharingan as he stared back at her.

"Yeah, and what's it to you?" Sasuke felt a trickle of fear run down his spine, 'This girl knows of Naruto's secret affiliation, meaning she has ties within the village…there's a rain headband around her waist, but she's not wearing a rebreather…who is she?'

"My name is Mitsuko. Watch your back in the exam. I'll be trying to stab a knife into it and your teammate." With that, the girl walked off, disappearing into the crowd of advancing genin.

"Who the hell was that?" Naruto's voice broke into Sasuke's sudden calm, "Man, are you finding another chick to get interested in you? Temari was already looking you over the other day!" Sasuke growled and grabbed Naruto by the scruff of his jacket, pulling him eye level.

"No, idiot! That girl…" Sasuke pulled himself together, dropping his voice, "That girl is a hired hit I think…her and her team are after you and me…inform Sakura when you get the chance…your heritage looks to have slipped outside the village somehow, and that could cause issues…" Naruto swallowed nervously, but nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, back in the shadows, two faces watched the exiting groups.

"This year's going to be interesting isn't it? Kakashi and Guy's group are something. That Uchiha has balls, but the Inuzuka was fairly radiating killer intent at us…and the pink-haired girl was as cold as ice, Izumo." The spiky haired partner agreed, smiling to him.

"Yeah Kotetsu…this exam is sure going to be interesting for us examiners as well."

xXxXxXx

"Oh, so you all showed up! Now you can properly take the exam." Kakashi smiled at the group. Sakura turned a smirk on him, her hands drifting unconsciously to her whips.

"You saying you doubted some of us might not show?" Kakashi sweated a bit at the girls stare, but shook his head smiling.

"Never doubted a one of you…just glad to see no-one over slept. One of my teammates did that the first time my team took the exam, and nearly got us all kicked out before it started." All three of his students gave him a dubious stare, and Kakashi felt himself blinking at them in surprise, "What?"

"No offense, but I'm just wondering if it wasn't you who was late…" Naruto gave his best deadpan, and Kakashi laughed at that slightly.

"Seriously, I used to be quite punctual. But that's a story for next time. You all made it together; you are the team I have been most proud of, now go and kick ass on this exam." All three smiled at Kakashi and walked into the room, entering the first stage of the Chuunin exam.

"Woah…there's a lot of stiffs in here, aren't there?" Naruto commented silently to Sakura. 'They all look really strong, this is going to be fun..' The room was a large empty space, with many desks and chairs. It was raised up, with Naruto and company walking into the top of the classroom.

Sakura meanwhile was scanning the group, trying to find some indication of a hidden sound group. There were just too many ninja to look through, and a sudden high pitched squeal drew her attention.

"Sasuke-kun! You're late!" Ino came up running, attaching herself to Sasuke's neck. The Uchiha seemed to grumble at the affection, even as Ino pressed her cheek against his affectionately. Her body was clad in her normal purple attire, showing off her flat stomach and long legs with a pink top that stopped around her middrift. Her legs were highlighted by her short purple shorts and a series of bandages on arms and legs.

"I haven't seen you for a while, so I was waiting in excitement." Sakura shook her head at her teammates predicament, walking over and pulling her off of Sasuke by the ear.

"Get off of Sasuke, you pig. Jeez, give the man some space." Sasuke nodded to Sakura, who smiled and returned the nod.

"Why if it isn't Sakura, big ugly forehead as always." Sakura let out a light growl, lifting up on Ino's ear before dropping her rudely on the ground. Naruto chuckled in the background, and looked up at the new arrivals.

"Are you guys taking this stupid test too? Man, what a drag…" Shikamaru walked up, his hair back in a spiky pony tail. He had a gray jacket that had his clan symbols on the shoulders covering a mesh under armor top and long grey pants. Everything about him screamed lazy and laid back.

"Oh! The idiot trio shows up!" Naruto chimed at Shikamaru, who dismissed him.

"Don't call us that, jeez, we'll never lose that name…man this sucks." Naruto just chuckled to himself happily, looking over the group and waving to them all.

"Oh come on, the lazy idiot, the boy idiot, and the fa.." three hands flashed out and covered Naruto's mouth in an instant. Choji had looked up from his food for a moment, but then paused and returned to munching happily.

"Haha! You finally show up brother!" Kiba charged over to the group, Akamaru yipping from the top of his hooded jacket. Naruto smiled at him, and gave him a high five of greeting. Trailing behind Kiba were Shino in his trench coat, and Hinata in her baggy jacket.

"Well well, looks like the gangs all here." Kiba was fairly energetic, though he did throw a dirty look toward Sasuke as he walked up to the group. Hinata managed a weak hello before turning and clinging to Kiba.

"Geez, you guys too…now this really sucks." Shikamaru closed his eyes, and seemed to sink against the wall, going to sleep.

"I see…all nine of this year's Rookie Genin are taking the exam. I wonder how far we'll all get…what do you think Sasuke?" Kiba's voice held a bit of an edge to it as he addressed the raven haired boy.

"Pfft…whatever. You seem confident Kiba, I'm sure you'll do fine for a mutt." Kiba grinned ferally at Sasuke, his hands coming out of his pockets.

"We did a lot of training, no way our team goes down to yours!" Naruto just rolled his eyes at his brother, untensing his arms a bit.

"Bro, listen to me when I say this…if you have to fight my team, you should run. We'll destroy you guys. We're the combat group, front and center, and you're a tracking group. You'd be left in pieces." Kiba flinched a bit at Naruto's words, but seemed mollified and backed down a bit.

"You should listen to your brother, he's definitely right. Even though he too is just fresh out of the academy." A leaf nin none of them had seen before approached the group. He had a leaf headband around his forehead, along with silver hair and glasses. He seemed fairly unremarkable, and was wearing full black body cover with no sleeves. A white shirt came out from underneath, and a thick sash was wrapped around his waist. A med kit rested on his left hip, and he had long gloves on both hands with the fingers exposed. Metal plates covered the back of his hands, and from the way he walked were on the underside of his shinobi sandals as well. "This isn't just going to be a picnic, you know?" Sasuke turned a harsh look on the new comer.

"And just who are you?" The man shrugged off the glare, pulling his hands out of his pockets as he approached.

"My name is Kabuto…but instead of paying attention to me, you should check your surroundings better." Kabuto pointed behind the group towards the general assembly, and the group noted the sudden large swath of killing intent and attention that they had drawn from the assembled ninja. One group in particular drew Sasuke's eyes; they had the headband of the hidden rain, and had full rebreathers on over their faces, signaling that they were the real deal.

"Those guys are from the hidden rain, real killers with a quick temper. You should all settle down before you cause a scene…" Kabuto watched the implications sink in, and smiled as the group of leaf nins calmed themselves. "Can't blame you too much for being rookies though…you remind me of how I used to be…" Sakura turned and stared at the guy, wondering just how long he had been taking the exams.

"Kabuto, right? Is this your second time taking the exam?" Kabuto smiled in a bemused way, but shook his head.

"Nope…this is my eighth attempt. And since the exam is held twice a year, that makes this my fourth year of trying." Sakura blinked in surprise at the amount of tries it could take to become Chuunin.

"Wow…that's impressive. You must be pretty knowledgeable about the whole process then." Kabuto nodded in acceptance of the roundabout praise, pulling a set of objects from within his clothes.

"That's right! And since I'm in such a giving mood, I'll share some info with you all, using my info cards!" Sakura felt her blood run cold at the statement, and smiled as the group gathered around.

'So, he's the operative I'll be reporting to…makes sense if you think about it, someone banging around that long in the Chuunin Exams without graduating or getting too frustrated…he must be gathering information on everyone, both in and outside the leaf village with this program of his…'

Coming out of her thoughts, she saw Kabuto explain the cards and their basic process as he displayed a map with the number of participants from each country.

"Do you have info cards on individuals?" Sasuke turned a questioning eye on Kabuto, who merely smiled openly.

"Heheh, is there some real bruiser you're worried about? Of course, the info on this exams participants isn't perfect, but I do have it. Even of you guys, say someone's name, and I'll take a look." Sasuke looked troubled for a second, then smiled to himself.

"Gaara from Suna, Mitsuko from hidden rain, and Naruto Inuzuka." Kabuto blinked and smiled, nodding in acceptance.

"You know their names, this should be a bit easier." Naruto turned a questioning look on Sasuke, and the boy smiled and nodded in return.

"I needed someone to gauge them against who I knew, so I put your name in there."

"First up is Naruto Inuzuka…graduated second in his class, has strong areas in Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and physical characteristics, though a deficiency in Genjutsu. A real bruiser from the looks of it, with six D-Rank missions, a C-Rank mission, and…holy crap, an S-Rank?! As a genin, that's a real shock…says here he formally had a partner with the Inuzuka clan, though the loss of his partner has only increased his physical stats…looks like someone to stay out of close or long range from, nasty." Kabuto looked up and nodded to Naruto with some respect in his eyes. Many of the other teams nodded toward Naruto, who merely smiled in the adulation and fear.

"Next is Gaara of the Desert, with a mission history of eight C-Rank missions, and a B-Rank mission…as a genin, that's also really impressive, though an S-Rank is a bit more terrifying. Says here though he's never come back from a mission with a single scratch on him. I don't have much on his abilities, but as his nickname involves the desert, it's easy to bet he's inherited some form of the Kazekage's control over particulates." Sasuke seemed to tense a bit at that, and nodded for Kabuto to continue.

"Mitsuko from Amegakure though, I have no data on her. It's like she's a no-person. Nothing on mission history, background, nothing. That's terrifying. One's with no mission history are often foreign plants for a hit or something." Kabuto looked up to Sasuke worriedly, though the Uchiha just shook his head in negation.

"Regardless, Sand, Waterfall, Fire, Grass, Rain, and Sound…there are many exceptional ninja here this year. Well, the hidden sound is relatively new so no one knows much about them, but the rest of the groups are well known for sending their best for this contest." Hinata seemed to quiver under the experienced ninja's statements.

"Kinda makes you lose your confidence, you know?" Hinata was looking over the group worriedly, checking from face to face.

"So, that means, that the ninja all here…" Ino's voice drifted off as she thought of Naruto and Gaara's cards, 'I didn't know Foreheads group was so powerful…and she says she keeps up with Naruto, and Sasuke's probably even stronger…'

"Yup. All the ninja here are like Naruto and Gaara, real bruisers of power, the elite genin from their villages." Naruto chuckled lightly at that, and kept his thoughts to himself.

'Well, they might all be bruisers, but I doubt they are quite like Gaara and I…that card told it all, he's a jinchuuriki like me, and I definitely interested one that's more bloodthirsty than I normally am…but that's fine, I'll just bring some of my bloodlust out to match!'

xXxXxXx

'I may have bet that all of them would win…but even those fearless kids could be shaking in their boots by now…' Kakashi thought to himself. Then flashes from the bridge came back, and he realized that his team was better prepared than any of the other genin for this, '…as long as Naruto stays fired up, they'll be fine…'

xXxXxXx

Naruto shook with anticipation. Hinata thought he looked worried, so she stepped forward to cheer him up. 'Even if I'm with Kiba, I can still show him what he missed out on…' Hinata smiled to herself as she approached, but Naruto's shaking stopped suddenly and he jumped up on a nearby table, his eyes flashing red and his markings darkening as he did.

"Listen here you bunch of idiot losers! My name is Inuzuka Naruto! I won't lose to you bastards! You got that!" His voice was guttural and low, but full of passion and violence. Many eyes turned back towards Naruto as he said this, and the whole of the assembly seemed to suddenly regard him warily. Kakashi heard it from outside the room, and smiled lightly to himself.

"Hey, what the hell is that?" Ino turned to Sakura, a look of outrage and disbelief on her face.

"He's too stupid to get down over some competition…" Sakura pulled out her whip and snagged Naruto's leg, pulling him backward. "Feel better?" Naruto nodded happily to her, and Sasuke merely scoffed at his antics.

Several faces noticed Naruto from the crowd, and Naruto only grinned ferally back at them in return, letting his bloodlust have free reign for a few moments.

xXxXxXx

"So, the sound village is a minor village, huh? We'll have to dissuade them of that notion..." A young shinobi male with a musical note on his headband and camouflaged gear grumbled from back in the crowd. "Let's play with them a little bit…"

"Sounds like a good idea to me…we can help him add to his info cards that sound shinobi can be quite…vicious" Another youth, this one with the sound headband draped across a bandaged eye and face spoke. He had a furred jacket, and wore black pants that ended above shinobi sandals.

xXxXxXx

Tenten leapt through the crowd to stand behind Naruto. "What the hell were you thinking? He's just kidding everyone! He's really quite stupid and obnoxious, don't listen to him!" Tenten turned between yelling at Naruto and placating the crowd.

"Oh come on, Tenshi, I had it!" Tenten smacked him across the face hard.

"Don't you dare call me that during the exam, you idiot! Man, I'm soo mad at you right now!" Naruto cowered a bit in front of Tenten, drawing laughs from Shikamaru and Kiba.

"Won't lose to you bastards huh? Looks like you're already losing to your woman." Kiba hid behind his giggles until Hinata turned a raised eyebrow on him, quickly shutting up his laughter.

"Heheh, he owes her there…he just almost made an enemy out of everyone before the test even started…" Shikamaru shook his head and smiled at the antics of the two, 'Better you than me, buddy…women are too much trouble…'

xXxXxXx

"Let's do it…" Three bodies moved suddenly from within the crowd.

Kabuto found himself smiling at the antics first, then he noticed the approaching bloodlust. 'Who's attacking me…oh, just them. Have to pretend I didn't catch them already, that'd be a bit too good for this Kabuto…'

Kabuto faked surprise as a figure suddenly jumped from the crowd and threw several kunai towards his center of mass. Jumping back, Kabuto easily dodged them, though he made it look like it took a little effort.

The swing came in, and Kabuto felt his eyes widen, 'These are hidden sound…I can't retaliate, though Orochimaru is going to be pissed at them for swiping at me like this…' Kabuto dodge the main hit, and jumped back and away from the impact. 'Oh well, great way to showcase our village strength, even if I end up as a dummy…'

"Hah, he dodged it!" Naruto called out, only to watch as Kabuto's glasses shattered.

"What? I saw it, the blow didn't land!" Sasuke looked at Kabuto with some concern etched on his face.

"Huh…Must have clipped his nose. That's what you get for acting like a bigshot…" Shikamaru's voice was full of disdain as he watched the exchange. He turned away as Kabuto spit up onto the floor, sickened from the impact.

Many eyes turned to watch the shinobi from the hidden sound, who seemed to be reeking bloodlust. One had the symbols for death drawn on his the front of his white jacket, the other two wore rather plain outfits. They all had matching patterns of snake pattern camouflage on their outfits. And they all were staring rather pointedly at the group of leaf ninja.

Tenten and Naruto rushed up to look after Kabuto, and the sound ninja scoffed in distate.

"How pathetic, especially for a fourth year veteran…write this down on your info cards; the three genin from hidden sound, definitely future Chuunin." The bandaged one spoke, a deep baritone that filled the hall. Many eyes turned and watched him, and a feeling of tension seemed to climb in the room.

"QUIET DOWN YOU WORTHLESS BASTARDS!" A sudden shout came from the front of the room, along with a huge cloud of smoke. Many eyes turned away from the hidden sound to the new arrivals. "My name is Morino Ibiki, and I am the proctor for your first exam!" A group of ninja in plain grey uniforms, the standard of the Torture and Interrogation squad stood behind a tall man in a black trench coat. He had a headband with the leaf symbol stretched across his forehead, and scars running across a heavily tanned face. He wore black gloves, and had a military flak jacket, along with long pants that ended in bandages before reaching plain shinobi sandals.

"Welcome to hell!"

xXxXxXx

Holy crap, this chapter just did not want to end! But, I got you there and there it is, a second update in as many days, hope this keeps some readers happy. I'm back, I'm alive, and as the Chuunin exam moves right along the plot will come hard and fast! Also, here enjoy, I leave you an omake!

Omake 2, Dog Days of Training

Sasuke wiped his forehead to keep away the mounting sweat. It seemed like the heat would never end today, and Kiba was being a right pain in the ass. 'So what if I kissed Hinata, he kissed her to! We were pass out drunk, why the hell does he care?'

Sasuke kept his mind off of this as his group leapt through the forest cataloging animals for the crazy jounin Anko. 'And that's another thing, her and Kakashi getting cozy…what is it with everyone and their sudden desires to match up, we're teenagers for god's sake…' Sasuke kept his anger to himself, using his Sharingan to quickly sweep and mark down animals in a given area. He finished his sweep, and headed back to the rendezvous spot to find Hinata sitting there waiting. 'Great, just what I need, an awkward conversation with a stutterer…'

Sasuke sat down on a log that he pulled up to the morning breakfast fire, not really needing the heat and sitting nearby mostly for social customs sake. Hinata looked over at him nervously, fidgeting with food and the like. 'She obviously won't say anything til I start something…might as well get it over with…'

"What?" Sasuke said harshly, wincing inwardly as he did so, 'That wasn't what I intended to say, but oh well…' Hinata flinched at the harsh accusation, but looked up and over towards him.

"Well, last night…at the bar, with Kiba and..and, I don't really…I mean, you're nice and all, but…but, I… I just…" Sasuke felt like he was going to tear his hair out before Hinata got to the point.

"Look, don't care that you don't like me. I'm not that fond of stutterer's either." Hinata winced at that, and looked away from Sasuke, "So, don't get me wrong. It was nice, we were drunk, and I'd gladly enjoy so again, but that's all you get from me." Hinata blinked wordlessly at that, and fiddled with the food for a bit.

"So…Naruto, he…he, likes Tenten, right?" Sasuke sighed and pulled some eggs and bacon off of the pan in the fire.

"Naruto's got his own worries. Leave him be for a while with Tenten, I doubt she'll be good for him." Sasuke just turned to his food, and bit into it, mindless of the conflicting emotions that flitted across Hinata's face.

"I'm back Hinata! Hey, Sasuke, Hinata said she was making me breakfast!" Sasuke turned to find an irate Kiba looking at him. Sasuke, fed up with his morning so far, growled once in anger before standing to face the Inuzuka.

"Sorry! First come, first serve! Are we just finding out that's how the world works anyways?" Sasuke sneered before jumping away and into the forest. Hinata flinched at that as well, thinking it was a secondary rebuke about her lack of action toward Naruto. Kiba growled after him, and sat down at the fire, pulling some of his own stores out.

"Here….let me help." Hinata offered, and Kiba gladly accepted, resting his eyes a bit from the count in the forest.

xXxXxXx

There you go, the first of many to detail the start of budding relationships. Well, with that, as always, read and review!


	14. Chapter 14: Young Dog, New Tricks III

I'M BACK! HERE WE GO, CHAPTER HOT OFF THE PRESS!

Let me know what you think, and as always, I own nothing but the original stuff! :D

xXxXxXx

"Welcome to hell!" The scarred man looked around the room and seemed to take note of the various participants scattered here and there. His eyes were solid and unwavering as he took in each face that dared meet his gaze. "Thanks for waiting, I'm the proctor for the Chuunin selection exams first test." A gloved hand flashed out from underneath the trench coat, quickly pointing back towards Naruto and his group.

"Hidden sound guys, stop doing as you please before the exam! Do you want to fail already?" The man's voice as poisonously sweet, and had many of the first time examinees sweating at his cold demeanor. His tone was pitched evenly, and carried no malice, just the promise of absolute and swift judgment if his order was not complied with exactly.

"We apologize, Ibiki-san. It is our first exam, so we might have gotten a bit carried away." The sound group didn't seem to feel regretful of their actions in the least, and many groups sent them questioning glances. Appearing tough was all well and good, but threatening a proctor had to be nearly suicidal. Ibiki just seemed to scoff lightly at the exchange, smirking even at the impudence of the foreign ninja.

"This is as good a time as any to say this then. There will be no fighting tolerated during the exam without a proctor's permission. Further, killing is not tolerated during the exam." Ibiki's eyes bored into the younger ninja's, and his tone dropped into a cold and merciless pitch, "Those pigs that disobey me will be failed immediately. Do I make myself clear?" Naruto felt his blood run cold a bit at this, and clenched his hands slightly.

'Not allowed to kill huh? Guess I'll have to pull back from the wind claws during the exam…crap, that will really cramp my style…' His eyes flashed over and Sasuke caught them and nodded once. The Uchiha would watch out for him during the exam, and make sure Naruto didn't step over any lines.

"This exam gets easier by the minute…" the sound ninja's boast was clear as day to Naruto's ears, and apparently the proctors assistants heard it too; dressed in uniform grey outfits with front pockets, many of them wore bandages across their faces and arms. Their silent chuckles unnerved several of the genin in the audience, and Naruto felt himself break out in a light, cold sweat. Silencing his cohorts with a glance, Ibiki turned back to the assembled audience.

"We will now begin the first exam. Instead of your current seating arrangements, pick up one of these tabs and take a seat at your designated table," Ibiki gestured to tables and chairs set up in the front of the room. "We will then hand out the exams." At that mention, the room fell silent, and Naruto turned a questioning look to Sasuke and Sakura.

"A paper exam? What's that about?" Sasuke shook his head, unsure of how to answer Naruto. He however did manage to flash a hand sign to him signaling a morse code pattern they'd use for communication. Naruto and Sakura nodded in agreement as they filed forward to take their seats. Almost immediately Naruto noted that the tiles were set up so that each team would be separated by a large distance.

'Not sure if I can pick up the code when there will be a sizeable distance and a decent amount of noise as well…this could be a problem.'

Naruto quickly found himself isolated from his group, and upon taking his seat flashed a few looks around him. He realized that Hinata was sitting next to him, and Tenten was back a few rows behind. Hinata stuttered a word of encouragement to him, and Naruto accepted it as gracefully as he could. 'Still weird with her dating my brother and all…oh well, I've got Tenten, and she seems a little miffed by how Hinata flirts with me once and a while still…' Naruto paid the Hyuuga girl little attention as he turned his eyes to the exam placed in front of him.

"Do not turn your tests over until I say to do so. Listen closely to what I am about to say." Ibiki was at the board and seemed to be lecturing with a piece of chalk in his hand, "There are many important rules to this exam, but I'm only going to say them once. Furthermore, no questions will be tolerated." Sakura felt her eyebrows draw down as she heard this, and she sent a meaningful look to her teammates. Sadly, neither turned to face her as she noted their positions in the class.

"The first rule, is that you start off with ten points. The test is made up of ten questions, and for each question answered incorrectly, you lose a point. You also lose a point for any question not answered on the test. So, if you answer six, but leave three blank and miss one, you get six points." Ibiki wrote down the rule on the board as he talked, taking his time to leave each character exactly in chalk.

"The second rule is that this is a team test. Your score will be based off of the combined totals of your teammates. Basically, each team will hold onto as many points from the initial team total of thirty." Some grumblings seemed to go around the room at that and Ibiki turned from the board to face the class in its entirety. "If you don't like the rules you can pack up and go home. None of you brats have the right to question my decisions here." Ibiki held the gaze of the entire room for several long seconds, waiting until the majority of the quiet complainers had turned their sights away from the tall figure.

"The third rule is that during the exam, anyone caught by the testing officers doing something sneaky, or showing any shady sort of activities, namely cheating, will have two points subtracted for every offense." Sakura felt her eyes narrow further and she smiled in understanding.

'So, this is an information gathering exercise…guess it will be up to Sasuke and I to help Naruto…he was always good with book work, but I'm willing to bet that he's not up to the level that this exam is looking for…I know I can pull it off though.' Sakura smiled to herself at her academic achievements, liking the fact that they would be good for something for once.

"If you lose enough points during the exam to have your team disqualified you will be asked to leave." Ibiki smiled cruelly at the class, and his smirk only widened when his exam assistants chimed in with promises to keep watch over all of them. "As shinobi trying to reach the level of Chuunin, be proud ninja."

'Even if we can't get the information to Naruto, Sasuke and I should be just fine…Sasuke can use his Sharingan to copy things from other testers while not appearing to do anything wrong, so it should be just fine…' Sakura felt a steady smile creep on to her face as she was sure of their easy victory.

"The final rule is this: those that lose all their initial points during the test and those that don't answer any of the questions are failed along with their teammates." Naruto felt his skin go cold at Ibiki's proclamation. Sasuke and Sakura had jawed looks on their faces as they stared at Ibiki, though both managed to reign in outright cries of frustration.

'I have the distinct feeling that my two teammates want to kill me right now…' Naruto grimaced as he stared at the sheet in front of him, wondering how he would manage to get out of this one.

xXxXxXx

"Well…it sure is boring without my team…" Kakashi grumbled to himself as he sat in a jounin lounge. It was in one of the testing buildings side rooms, a class especially set up for the reserve training core of shinobi who didn't make the initial cut as genin. Kakashi was wearing his standard gear of black long sleeve under shirt and pants, with his flak jacket over the top. His head rested in his gloved hands, with his headband draped across one of his eyes; his whole body seemed deflated with waiting and tension over the test.

"Don't worry, you won't be bored for long." A large man with similar attire sat across from Kakashi, a cigarette balanced precariously from the corner of his mouth. Kakashi turned and gave the man, Sarutobi Asuma, an appraising look. The large man sat across from him on a simple red couch, well beaten in over the years. The room was surprisingly civilian for a ninja village, a plush couch and coffee table set in the center of a room with dozens of filing cabinets, for past tests and the like most likely. The room had a decent view from behind the couch though; from where Kakashi was sitting he could see the Ichiraku ramen stand, and noted idly that the teachers in the village had a cushy gig.

"Why would that be?" Kakashi ventured, his nerves already fraying from the start of the exam. Though his team had a lot of strength as combat experts, their teamwork recently had been suffering, and Kakashi was nervous about that. Beyond that point, there were many ninja arts beside combat that he had yet to impart to his students.

"I heard that the examiner for the first test is Morino Ibiki." Asuma's tone was gravely and non-chalant, but it made Kakashi's hang-dog look only increase, prompting him to glance sadly at his cup of steeming tea.

'Like I need my nerves any more frayed at the moment,' Kakashi thought, forlornly looking away from his beverage.

"That sadist? Jeez, they really do want to put the pressure on this year, don't they?" A woman across from them blinked in confusion, her raven black hairs and red eyes piercing the morning light.

"Sadist?" She wondered casually outloud, drawing the attention of the two male ninjas. She had a body wrap consisting of several white bandages that covered her torso. Red thorns jutted from vines placed all across the surface; Looking over her body was a deadly mistake though, as the eye would be drawn to the thorns, providing the genjutsu mistress a perfect avenue for attack. A red sleeve extended down her right arm, and her hands, forearms, and upper thighs were covered in cloth wraps. Metal mesh armor covered her torso, appearing as a cover across her ample bosom. A leaf headband crossed the middle of her face, parting her hair nicely.

"That's right, you wouldn't know about him yet Kurenai, you being a new jonin and all…" Asuma drawled from the side of his cigarette, not seeming to mind looking over the woman's form, despite the physical risk. Kurenai grimaced at this and gave Asuma a distasteful look, her eyes mostly drawn to his cigarette.

"Who is he?" Kurenai finally asked, trying to keep the annoyed edge out of her voice.

"A pro." Asuma's simple statement drew Kurenai's eyes down in bewilderment.

"A pro of what?" Asuma paused before answering; he loved to draw things to a dramatic pitch, and he noted idly the annoyance his smoking caused Kurenai.

"Of torture and interrogation. Special Jounin Morino Ibiki, Captain of the Torture and Interrogation Squad, and part of the Leaf villages Assassination Squad". Kurenai felt her eyes go wide at the revelation and turned her thoughts to her individual students. Kakashi merely sighed and shook his head, thinking idly of his team's chances.

xXxXxXx

'Heh…heheheh, this is nothing, I've been in worse scrapes then this before…' Naruto stared at his page, trying to keep himself calm. He was sure that he could answer at least one of the questions, even if he had never been that good in class work. 'Yeah, I even mostly kept up with Sakura, though she always understood what the questions were asking better than I did…I just need to pick a problem, focus on it, then move on to the next one, right?'

Sasuke worriedly looked over at Naruto, noticing that he was already beginning to shake slightly under the stress. 'This isn't good, I've got to hurry before Naruto slips up. He's always the most impulsive, and information gathering isn't really his strong suit…'

Naruto stared at his paper, focusing on the first question, a simple code cipher.

'This shouldn't be too bad, I'll just try the ten basic ones the academy taught, it should be one of those, right?' Naruto looked over it, trying each one in turn, and felt his stomach drop as he went through the problem.

'It's not any of them…this cipher is way WAY too hard for a genin to answer…' Briefly flicking his eyes over the entire test, Naruto realized that the entire thing was full of questions that no one but Sakura could answer.

Sakura herself was coming to the same realization, though she smiled slightly to herself. 'The rules are two points off for cheating…and we can cheat in whatever way we want so long as we don't kill anyone. All I need to do is copy down my answers, make a quick replacement jutsu with Naruto's test, and finish it again in the time limit…hell yeah, I can pull something off for once!'

Sasuke however was looking over the problems, and coming to the conclusion that he couldn't answer any of them himself either. 'What's with this damn exam, and this surprise last question?' Sasuke looked balefully at the examiners ringing the room, and noticed that some of them even had the gall to smile back knowingly at him. 'It's like they expect us to cheat or something…' Sasuke felt as if a bolt of lightning had ripped through him.

'Of course, we're expected to cheat! The point is to not get caught. I just hope Naruto has figures it out soon. If not, I'll have to switch tests with him and fill his test out for him.'

Naruto meanwhile was stressing over the entire test, and had even started to strain his hearing as much as he could. 'Stupid examiners did something to the sound in the room, that clock tick sounds way WAY too loud…guess it's a basic precaution against listening experts though, so it makes sense…Crap, crap, crap, I don't know how to answer a single one of these questions…Guess I'll have to wager it on the last question…'

Ninja around the room began to put various plays in action; though Ibiki wasn't counted as one of the ones marking students down, he did notice that the majority of techniques were explicitly crafty this year. 'No one went with a simple method, which is disappointing, but there is at least a decent amount of creativity in this crop…' The Aburame had his insects gather the information, the sound ninja managed to quietly pick up on another individuals written movement, and the Inuzuka had his dog bring the answers for him. Ibiki almost frowned at how criminally easy it was for those with dojutsus though, noticing the ease of which Sasuke and the Hyuuga seemed to be gathering their answers.

Time seemed to flow quickly and Naruto noticed that over half the allotted time had already eclipsed. 'Crap, I really need to get these answers, at least some of them…I can't just count on Sakura and Sasuke to bail me out…I need to find a way to cheat without getting caught!'

Ibiki noticed the frightened look on Naruto's face and couldn't help but smile to himself at the blonde's expressive nature. 'That'll cost you later on in life, better to disabuse you of it now…' A kunai flashed out from the head examiner, impaling a genin's paper that had just failed.

"What the hell?!" Ibiki looked at the boy and smiled cruelly.

"You're a disgrace as a ninja, everyone here could see you cheating, get out of my sight…Take your horrid teammates with you." The genin wavered for a second, then nodded and left. Ibiki could only smile at the terrified look that had seem to come over Naruto's face.

Naruto was really beginning to sweat when he suddenly felt the temperature in the room drop. Glancing around him he noted that the dropping temperature was bringing moisture into the air; the whole room was quickly covered in a thick mist and there was a sudden rush of wind in front of him. Naruto looked down and saw that his sheet had been replaced with Sakura and was filled with answers.

"Dispel this mist right now or I fail the lot of you!" Ibiki's harsh cry spread over the class, and Naruto noticed the mist disappearing rapidly. Taking his chance Naruto committed several of the answers to memory, noting the nice advantage bubble sheets gave in this instance. Before he had gotten four of the answers, he felt the paper switch again as the mist fully fell away.

'Nice one Sakura, you really saved my ass there…guess it's coasting on easy street now, we made it through that with ease…' Naruto smiled to himself as he slowly bubbled in several of the answers, making some idle scratch marks as if he had figured out some of the answers.

'That was a pretty good combination there, a hidden mist technique and a replacement jutsu in the meantime…however, her enemies also got a chance to use that opening, I wonder if she realized that…' Ibiki smiled out over the assembly, his gaze resting on Sakura Haruno, Anko Mitarashi's sometime apprentice.

Several teams began to drop like flies after the mist jutsu, adding to the tension of the group. 'Of course, some of those are scripted for the brats convenience…' Ibiki chuckled darkly at the exam set up; with several examiners placed as test takers, he could ratchet up the tension as the exam continued. Before long he noted that sweat began to break out on almost all the contestants.

Despite the commotion of some of his underlings hamming it up for the genin, Ibiki noticed one ninja that didn't seem perturbed in the slightest. Red hair and teal eyes, along with a black undersuit and a strap for a gourd marked him as Gaara Sabaku, the top genin coming from the hidden sand village.

'He's completely calm, not even a tinge of nerves…' Ibiki smiled as he watched the genin perform a cursory jutsu, using the sand from his gourd. 'Not even worried about being caught either, guess he plans to get all of his information in one go…what a monster that one is, his fights will be entertaining…'

Ibiki looked around the room and noted that the majority of the losers had been eliminated and that his strategically placed test takers had been cleaned out as well. 'Guess it's about that time then…'

"Ok, it's time for me to announce the tenth question." The entire group of test takers snapped their eyes to Ibiki and he felt a grin break out on his face. "These are the rules of desperation…" Ibiki smiled at the effect of the words, several of the weaker teams looked like they were about to crack already.

"The first rule, is that you have to choose whether to take this question or not." Naruto grimaced at that slightly, and Sasuke felt his eyes narrow in concern.

"Choose? What happens if we choose not to?!" Naruto recognized Temari's voice from before, her outcry full of anger over the design of the test.

'Guess she's just as much of a hothead as she is a flirt…' Naruto smirked to himself, sure that even if he missed the one point from this test that he hadn't lost the entirety of his score. Ibiki didn't even miss a beat, his gaze going hard and focusing on the kunoichi.

"If you choose not to take the tenth question your points will be reduced to zero. You fail, along with your teammates." Ibiki smirked inwardly as he watched the spirits of much of the group harden. Some of the bolder ones even cried out at him, demanding that he just ask the question already.

"And now…for the second rule…" the commotion from before died off as Ibiki spoke softly into the room. "The second rule, is that if you choose to take it and answer incorrectly, that person will lose the right to take the Chuunin selection exam again." Ibiki watched as horror started to play out over the face of everyone present. "Just to be clear, there is still no questioning of my rules…" Ibiki smiled as the tension really began to set in, seeing several pencil points break from being pressed into the paper.

"What the hell kind of rule is that!?" Naruto smiled as his brother's yell filled the room. "There are people here who have taken the exam before, that's completely ridiculous!" Ibiki merely began a quiet chuckle that had many of the students sitting on edge.

"Well…you see…you guys were just unlucky." Ibiki's smile split across his face, a huge grin that promised pain and torture to everyone. "You got me for an examiner, and this year you have to play by my rules…" Ibiki put his hands up in a placating gesture then, though his smile never left his face. "I am giving you all a way out though…those that don't think they are up to it can always quit and try again next year…" Ibiki smirked then, and let his face go silent as he gazed predatorily over the crowd.

"If you decide to quit, raise your hand, and once we've confirmed your numbers you can leave...I guess you could say the tenth question begins now." Ibiki smiled as he turned away from the class, opting instead to pull his lunch out of the drawer. He sat down at his table, and slowly began to eat. The blow that his casual nature had to the psyche of the test takers was obvious; he knew that many of them were going to quit so he was just waiting it out.

'Damnit…I don't want to be stuck as an eternal genin, but I can't just fail Sasuke and Sakura…' Naruto glanced up and down from his paper, his hands tightening around the offending slip.

'I'm not raising my hand, I'm confident I can answer this question…but Sasuke and Naruto are different, neither of them are going to be able to get this for sure…they need to raise their hands now, but Sasuke will be too stubborn to back down and Naruto won't want to bring the team down…' Sakura shook slightly as she thought over the options. She felt her hand inch forward almost against her volition, and snaked her other arm across to stop herself.

"I quit!" The first voice rang out in the room, one of the remaining genin throwing in the towel. The declaration started an avalanche, and Ibiki barely even noticed, continuing to eat his lunch calmly as his smile crept further up his face.

Sakura felt her hand truly begin to shake, and a grimace settled over her features, 'I can't see those two fail here…even if Sasuke's a jerk sometime he's my teammate, and Naruto's like an obnoxious younger brother…hell, they both are! I…I can't let their ninja career end like this…' As Sakura began to raise her hand, she noticed that Naruto rose to his feet. He stood there for several seconds, shaking and not saying a word; long enough for even Ibiki to stop eating his food and look up at him questioningly.

"So, you giving up kid?" That was all it took from Ibiki to have Naruto's eyes snap up to his face; blood-red pupils with black vertical slits bored into Ibiki's eyes, and a fearful presence resonated around Naruto.

"Hell no I'm not! I'm not going to run like some damned coward!" Naruto emphasized his last statement by slamming his fist on the table, a low growl escaping from his lips. As he did so, Ibiki idly noticed that the feeling of desperation had largely left the air, though some did seem to give Naruto a worried glance or two. "I'll take your damned question! Even if I end up a genin forever! Something like that still won't stop me from becoming Hokage, so I don't care! I'm not afraid of you, you sick bastard!" Ibiki smiled at that, noting that the boy seemed to be breathing heavily with steam coming from his nose. 'That one's interesting as well…he speaks up and the entire group, even foreign ninja, calm at his words…'

"I'll ask you again…your life is riding on this decision. This is your last chance to quit." Ibiki kept his face neutral, his words punctuated by stabbing food from his lunch plate, his tone utterly bored at the topic. "Well, it's better if you continue anyways, always useful to have a few career genin out there…" Naruto sneered at the man, and Ibiki smiled as he watched his eyes fade to a blue color.

"I never go back on my word, that's part of being an Inuzuka, you prick. I told you, even if I am made into a genin forever I'll become the most powerful ninja in the whole damn world. Now give me this last question so I can get on with it…" Ibiki smiled, and slowly stood up from his food, moving to the front of the classroom.

'78 left…bit more than I thought would remain, but that kid is something else. Kakashi did a right bit of work with his team. Dragging this out won't change anything, so I guess it's time to let them move on. Hope Anko has those hidden camera's installed, the instructors always pay big bucks for when their kids make it through my exams….' Ibiki stood stone still for a moment longer, daring any of the remaining to lose their nerve yet and back down. When no one fidgeted and all the exam takers staid riveted on him, Ibiki chuckled once, and smiled at the crowd.

"Well said brat. To the rest of you remaining, congratulations on passing the first exam!" Ibiki smiled openly as his words registered with the group, Shocked faces spread across the entire crowd, and flashes of light went off as one, immortalizing the looks of outrage on all of their faces. "And those photos are the perfect piece of blackmail against the lot of you forever from reaching your senseis…" Ibiki smiled at the now murderous looks of his subjects.

"What the hell? What was the point of the tenth question then?!" Temari's voice was abrasive as it grated across the gathered shinobi.

"That's simple, the two choices were the tenth question." Ibiki just smiled happily at the girl, his face pulled into a friendly smile for once. It was both disarming and unnerving to the rest of the gathered individuals; after being scared shitless of the man for the last hour, now here he was being friendly!

"Then what was the point of the other questions, huh?! They were pointless if you ask me!" Temari continued to berate the bandana wearing jounin, only flinching when she noticed that his demeanor had changed again to serious.

"They were not pointless, they had already served their intended purpose before the tenth question…" Ibiki smiled at the lost look on her face and the faces of several other individuals. "That purpose was to test your individual information gathering abilities. First, as the rules stated, this is a team exercise, which puts pressure on each member to not mess things up for the group." Several genin nodded at that description, finding it in line with what they had figured out. Naruto had the gall to smile and put his hands behind his head, not flinching from the looks his cocky positioning drew to him.

"Furthermore, the questions were difficult to a level that would be impossible for almost all genin to answer. Because of that, I'm sure most people came to the conclusion that in order to pass I'll have to cheat." Sakura smiled at that, taking her own feeling of pride in the sensation that she had finished the test without having to cheat on any portion of the exam.

"Basically, the premise of this test is to cheat. To help all of you out we placed a few Chuunin in to the test as well, that way some answers would be out there for all of you to work off of…" Sasuke felt his eyes go wide as one of the kids he had copied from turned and gave him a nod of omission.

'Guess I got lucky afterall…though that does mean he knows that I copied off of him as well…so Sharingan is probably not the most unnoticeable information gathering method, I guess…' Sasuke grimaced slightly at that, and gave the Chuunin a challenging nod in return.

"Those that cheated poorly were failed however…" At this Ibiki reached behind him and began to remove his headband. The motion drew the attention of the entire class; not once had Ibiki touched his head or face, and his eyes and cheeks already had deep gouges crossing his face.

"Because in times of desperation, information is more important than life itself…on missions and in the field, you will be faced with the decisions of risking life and limb for vital information on your opponents…" His skull bore witness to further mutilation that made the group flinch back at its revelation. Gouges were drilled into the top of his cranium, obviously worn in the shape of drills, while burns and laceration marks crossed across the pitted landscape. The skin was puckered and white in areas, obvious signs of permanent scarring.

'Damn…so that's what happens when you get caught, huh? Probably even worse under those gloves of his if that's any indication…still, I'd never get caught, heheh.' Zaku tried to console himself as he looked at the damage done to the Leaf shinobi.

"If the enemy or other party notices you, there is no guarantee that the information is sound. I want you to remember this; Important information in your hands can be a powerful weapon for your allies and your village." Ibiki stressed the point by returning his intense gaze to the room of genin, his headband firmly re-affixed to his head, hiding his horrible scarring.

"That's the reason we had you gather information through cheating. Those that didn't have what it took were swept away in the process." Ibiki smiled and swept his arms wide in a dramatic pose, "But the tenth question is the true purpose of the test. As it's a take it or leave it choice, the entire purpose of the test comes down to taking a leap of faith. If you become Chuunin you'll be faced with a similar situation quite often; if your mission is to steal a secret document, guarded by untold amounts of ninja, will you run away? You could be facing death, yet if you fail to act your allies could die as well? Is running the right choice there?" Ibiki let the words hang in the air, smiling at the serious looks that came across most of the test takers faces.

"Of course you can't run! Those cowards that do don't deserve to be Chuunin in my eyes!" Ibiki scoffed as he looked over the greenhorns in contempt. "The ability to be courageous, and survive any hardship, that is absolutely essential for a Chuunin captain! Those who can't put their destinies on the line, who cling to the uncertain future of 'next year', those pieces of trash that can only make cowardly choices will never become Chuunin!" Ibiki's roaring statement lit a fire in many of the audience, and the man smiled at the result. 'Maybe I should take a stint as an academy instructor…nah, she'd kill me or the rest of the prisoners if I left her alone at T&I…'

"Those of you who have chosen to take the tenth question have answered correctly. You have managed to pass the first examination, and as such can face up to any challenges that you may meet. I wish you luck in your future endeavors in this exam, and in your careers." Glass suddenly shattered as a whirling black tarp came careening into the room. Kunai ejected from it in all directions as the window shattered and a large tarp spread itself behind Ibiki in an impressive display of violence. 'I barely even finish thinking about the devil lady, and she shows up…' Ibiki smirked, though he was a bit dismayed at her perfect timing for arrival.

"Alright you lot! This is no time to be celebrating!" A woman's crisp voice broke over the crowd. She had purple hair, and brown eyes, with pale fair skin. Her torso was covered with a skin tight black body mesh and armor. A black set of athletic shorts hung at her waist, though they were skimpy enough to be scandalous. Armored shin plates extended from black shinobi sandals, and the rest of her form was hidden by a large brown trench coat. Her Konoha headband was tied around her forehead, with her hair pinned back in a military bun.

'Anko-sensei is the proctor for the second exam!? Awesome, maybe she'll be able to help us out in the next one, this one was way too intense!' Naruto practically jumped in his seat at the prospect of having an examiner who's brand of crazy he was familiar with.

"I am the examiner for the second test, Mitarashi Anko! Now let's go!" Ino blinked at the sudden arrival. 'Isn't that Sakura's teacher? Oh man, this is going to be a rough lesson, I just know it…' The entire room likewise seemed taken aback as no one jumped from their seat to follow the brash woman. Ino watched as the woman's face heated at the front of the room, though the jounin seemed more interested in the swath of teams that were remaining.

"Ibiki, you let 78 genin pass!? What the hell, the test must have been too easy this time!" Ibiki shook his head and smiled, pointedly looking towards Naruto and his friends.

"There were a lot of outstanding candidates this time, Anko. You should know, you prepped some of them…" Anko blinked owlishly at that, and when she looked out she spotted Team Kakashi in the mix up.

"Oh good! The kiddies made it! Yes, know I get to have some play time with the lot of them…" Anko licked her lips sadistically, and Sasuke felt himself flinch in the back row.

'Just great, a whole minute into the second exam and I can already tell the proctor is going to make it rough on us since we're her 'favorites'…sometimes I hate that Kakashi took our team seriously…' Sasuke grimaced at the thought of the coming test, but smiled at Anko's apparent show of faith in them; if they were going to entertain her, that at least meant they were finally starting to be worth the Jounin's time.

"Be careful kiddos! Cuz this time, I'm going to cut the number of examiners at least in half…" Anko's declaration had the entire hall up and paying attention, and the snake lady smiled at the reaction. "Ah, your fear is so exciting, the lot of you. Don't worry, I'll explain everything once we've changed locations. Now follow me, your second test begins now…" Anko blurred into motion, rushing out the door. The gathered ninja practically tripped over themselves as they raced to catch up, though Ibiki noticed that Naruto and his teammates grouped together before tagging along. As they were dispersing, Ibiki noticed an odd girl from the hidden rain village, with fans and medical supplies secured at her waist leaving calmly with her team.

'Either they are not worried about being left behind, or they have a very good tracker…odd, I didn't notice any of them cheat during the exam at all, hell not even a sign of nerves from the lot of them…' Ibiki made his way over to the locations that the three mystery shinobi had been testing at, and flipped over their papers. All of them had perfectly filled in answers, but what filled Ibiki with dread was that they were all answered in a way that was not consistent with his plant's answer keys. 'They answered those questions themselves…they also weren't wearing rebreathers, which is a classic of the hidden rain…something isn't right here, the Hokage needs to be informed of this matter…'

xXxXxXx

"Welcome to training ground forty four…or as I like to call it, the Forest of Death!" Anko smiled at the terrified looks that spread over the assembled crowd. Behind them stood a giant forest, the edges of which disappeared off into the distance; it was truly massive with trees taller than skyscrapers, and sounds of various wildlife in constant struggle escaping from their confines. On the border of the forest was a massive fence that was adorned with animal skulls on certain points, and emblazoned with characters for death, dismemberment, and suffering. A little ways away from the fence were several pavilions and watch towers, constructed from wood with canvas tarps for the roof. The ground was a cracked brown color up to the border of the forest where it suddenly sprang into lush grass. The grass grew rapidly as one entered the forest; before long, it was over head height for a full adult, and creatures could be seen moving through the underbrush. A tiger suddenly appeared and slashed against the gate before an electric shock, strong enough to be visible, jolted the creature away from the gathering. Snickering at the surprised look on some of the rookie's faces, Anko enjoyed the moments of fear and let it add to the tension of the test.

"Now then, kiddies, I'm going to explain the rules once and only once, and then the lot of you will get started ripping each other apart…" Anko smiled viciously at the crowd, and smirked wider as she noticed Naruto and his team looking eagerly at the forest, 'Those brats are lucky, they've spent plenty of time in these woods, so they'll be well prepared for it…'

Clearing her voice and dusting off her trench coat, Anko drew herself to her full height as she looked out over the crowd. "Before I explain about the test though, we have a few forms for the lot of you." At that, several examiner helpers dispersed among the crowd from a nearby pavilion, fanning out and handing papers to the assembled ninja. "These slips of paper are necessary for the exam; they are consent forms, releasing our village from any responsibility for injury, dismemberment or death that you might encounter herein," All of the assembled shinobi looked up at that and Anko smirked wickedly, "Oh yes, you'll be allowed to fight in this exam, in fact even encouraged. While killing is not explicitly against the rules, excessive bloodlust will also be frowned upon." Naruto seemed to smile at that statement, and he sent a knowing look towards Sasuke who nodded in agreement.

"From here on, people will die." Anko's tone was casual and business like, with a hint of whimsy to it, "Since I don't want to be responsible for the messy paperwork that could accompany that, I'm having you lot do some before-hand…" Anko waited as the slips were generally returned. It seemed that the lot of them had not even managed to check the agreement terms before signing, something that made Anko sigh slightly in exasperation, 'Kids these days are too trusting by far if you ask me…'

"Hurry up and explain what's going on Anko! I'm getting ansty from that last test…" Naruto had gone ahead and released some of his chakra, allowing his Inuzuka side to come to the fore. The feeling of aggression radiated off of him, and Sasuke smiled in appreciation for his teammate's wild side. In an instant it was cut off though by a kunai sailing past Naruto's ear and slicing him neatly across the cheek. Anko suddenly appeared behind him and ran a tongue along his bleeding cheek, smiling wickedly at him.

"Now, now, Naruto-kun…I know you are the excitable type, but keep that in check…this exam kills the hot heads like you most often…" Tenten bristled at the interaction from a ways off, and Anko smiled at the girl before lasciviously running her tongue up and down Naruto's cheek. She stopped shortly though as an odd figure approached behind her and hander her a kunai from a long and extending tongue.

"Here, proctor-san…I thought you'd like your kunai returned to you." The individual somehow managed to speak despite talking around a kunai, but Anko payed it no mind; the individual was from Kusagakure, who were known for their more outlandish techniques. Anko idly took the offered kunai, and looked around to see that most of the pamphlets were circling back to the examiners.

"Thanks…" Anko slipped out from the position that the Kusa-nin had her in, and made her way over to the podium again. She idly noted that the Kusa-nin wore a straw hat, with a charm for evil marked three times dangling from the left side of the hat. The grass ninja had a purple rope belt tied around her waist, with stiff sections hanging in an upward fashion behind her. This was laid over a simple tan draping cloth that covered the ninja's torso and legs, with a black body suit underneath extending from underneath. 'That one managed to sneak up on me…definitely a higher ranking ninja in this exam…stay safe brats…'

"Now then, I'll explain the rules of this exam. To put it bluntly, this is a survival exercise." She watched as various eyes narrowed in sudden understanding and smiled to herself, "This area has forty four gates circling the perimeter. Each of you will be assigned to a gate and given one of two scrolls, either Heaven or Earth," At this, Anko held up an example of each to the crowd. "It is ten kilometers to the center of the tower, and you and your team will have five days to make it to the center of the area, where a tower is located. The rules are simple; you cannot open the scrolls until you and your entire team are in the tower, you have five days to get to the tower, giving up is not allowed. Other than that, anything goes." Naruto seemed to be bouncing on his heels lightly at this, and he reached back to run a hand over his arrows and bow.

Anko looked out over the crowd, and noted a lack of questions. Almost everyone seemed serious for once, and she liked the sight. "Alright, send a representative to this tent over here and we'll get the scrolls passed out. One at a time into the tent." Grumbles went through the crowd about who would retrieve the scroll, Naruto nodding to his teammates that he would go first. Kiba spotted his brother and came over to him, their Inuzuka jackets causing them to stand out from the crowd. Kiba gave Naruto a high five of encouragement, and Naruto felt his eyes go wide as a scent hit his nostrils.

'So that's your plan, bro…not bad, and thanks for the heads up…' Naruto smiled at his brother who winked knowingly before he disappeared into the crowd, elbowing past a bunch of the people. Tenten approached him, and before Naruto new it, she was kissing him boldly on the lips.

"Stay safe, idiot. I want to spend lots of time with my new boyfriend when you get back alive." Naruto blushed and nodded to her as well, caught off guard by her forcefulness. Several on-lookers noted the by-play as well, though most sniggered openly at the antics of the older girl. Sasuke noted that the black haired girl from before also was paying attention, and wanted to kick himself at his teammates openness.

'Perfect way to get her targeted…I swear, people with emotions are downright stupid sometimes…'

Gaara noticed Naruto from the crowd as the two made their way towards the scroll building. 'I wonder if I can tag him…this might be risky but it could be worth it…' Naruto walked up to Gaara and stuck out a hand in friendly greeting. Gaara looked completely shocked and looked at the appendage in an untrustworthy fashion, like a snake that might bite him at any moment.

"We shake hands in this village to bury animosity. Surely you have heard of the Konoha customs?" Naruto felt sweat bead at the back of his head, but was surprised when Gaara shrugged and shook Naruto's hand in a brief moment of civility.

"Truly, I feel no great animosity towards your team. Don't die in there though; I want to kill you or your teammates one on one, so there's no distractions." Naruto felt his blood run cold at that, though he nodded in a friendly way towards Gaara, signaling a matching interest. Gaara smiled and dispersed into the crowd towards the scroll table.

'Oh yeah, definitely interested a bloodthirsty one there…nice going Naruto…' Naruto made his way towards the tent, and noticed that Kiba slipped in right behind him as well. Naruto raised an eyebrow at that, but Kiba merely shook his head in a negating manner. Before long, Naruto stepped inside the tent, and an examiner in a grey body suit and black sunglasses looked him over once before handing him a heaven scroll and writing the gate number 34 down on his paper. Not wasting any time, Naruto unbuckled his backpack and took out a sealing scroll, placing the item out of sight. The examiner nodded once quietly and Naruto quickly exited the tent.

Stepping out of the awning, Kiba turned to Naruto and mouthed the word 35 and Earth to him. Naruto smiled, and nodded in agreement. Signaling his team, Sasuke and Sakura moved over to the blonde and headed towards their marked gate.

"So, I have good news and better news," Naruto said once they were away from the crowd of genin. "The good news is that my brother and his team are definitely willing to work with us on this exam. The better news is, between my brother and me, I think we have every team in here tagged with a scent marker, so we'll always know well ahead of time when someone approaches." Sasuke smirked at the news, and Sakura seemed to brighten as well to that.

"How do you know that they want to work together with us?" Sasuke's question was bored, though interested in the possibilities that it presented. 'With an additional team of the rookie nine to go along with Gai's team, we have a better than decent chance of tearing through the competition…'

"Kiba told me that he had the earth scroll, the match to ours, at the outset. That way, if one of the teams gets too injured we can make sure the other passes. In addition, it makes it so that we're not competing directly against each other; his team needs a heaven scroll, and we need an earth, so we're not hunting from the same pool of targets." Sakura brightened at that, and nodded to Naruto, impressed with his tactics for once.

"I'm willing to bet that plan was laid by Shino, that sounds like the logic of an Aburame any day." Sakura tensed at the approaching sound of a female voice, then realized quickly that it was merely Ino who was drifting over to them.

"What are you doing here, Ino-pig?" Sakura said in mock annoyance, smiling at her friend lightly.

"We had Shikamaru assign us to the gate just down from all of you, 33, that way we could meet up once we are inside. Shikamaru and Shino worked it out during the second exam. If we all team up, with Gai's team included, we can stomp the competition!" Ino seemed to have a bit of fire in her eye as she said this, and Sakura felt her eyes widen appreciatively at the gesture.

"Mah, Ino, don't be such a drag…Look, you and Gai's team are combat experts, Asuma trained us as capture experts, and Kurenai's team is full of superb trackers…all told, we can easily take out our opponents, and have advanced warning of their approach. Add to that our ability to win non-lethally, and a back-up of at least two teams advancing no matter what, and we have a hell of a chance." Sakura smiled at Shikamaru, and the Nara merely shrugged his shoulders in annoyance.

"Man, that has to be the most I've ever heard that guy talk!" Naruto's boisterous comment had the group suddenly turning and looking at him, with a few laughs at Shikamaru's expense. "While that sounds great and all, we may need to remain split up though…larger crowds draw the nasty beasts out in this forest, so if we group together we'll be a giant target. On top of that, Sasuke and I think we have some none-too-friendly enemies in there…specifically a hit from the rain village." Shikamaru felt his eyes narrow on Naruto's, and Naruto nodded in response to the unasked question.

"We should probably help you guys out with that then, the more people there are in a combat the better off our chances are…" Choji took the moment to look up from his chips, his cloth wrapped hands pausing as he considered the group. The rotund boy had opted to wear his white clan shirt over a green jacket, and had his typical headband bandana covering his forehead. He had black shorts and cloth wrapped around his legs as well, stopping just above shinobi sandals. A white scarf hung from around his neck, and small silver hoops were placed in his ears. Naruto shook his head at the response of the group, and sighed at the non-plussed looks he got.

"Look, the lot of you know that Kiba and I get pretty intense when we use the clan techniques, but apparently I'm a kind of prodigy when it comes to tapping in to my baser nature…couple that with my wind techniques and how Sasuke and Sakura can enhance those attacks, and we're a wrecking force…I'm not saying you guys couldn't help, but until you've worked with us for a while, you won't know how to stay out of the way of our more destructive techniques." Shikamaru frowned at that, thought nodded in agreement with Naruto, quieting the others.

"Fine then, we'll figure out ways to trap an enemy with Kiba and his team tracking them, then bring you lot in for a decent finishing contact. How should we get in contact?" Naruto pulled a whistle from his pocket and tossed it to Shikamaru.

"Kiba and Tenten have one of those as well…I always got the better sense of hearing then Kiba did, so just give that thing a whistle and I'll hear it. It's a dog whistle, so it doesn't make any audible sound." Ino smiled as she looked at the thing, tossing her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder.

"So, why does Tenten have one, Naruto? She likes to be able to make you come when she calls?" Ino asked, a sing-song lilt to her voice. Naruto blushed heavily and scoffed at the girl, drawing a titer from her in response.

"Thanks Naruto. We'll give you guys a call if we need it." Naruto nodded to Choji, and turned to walk towards the gate with his teammates.

"When are we going to get one of those, eh blockhead?" Naruto turned a surprised eye on Sasuke, and smirked in response.

"Hah, like I'm letting the two of you out of my sight!" Sasuke smiled at that, and Sakura gave a nod of approval as well.

"Hey you lot! Get to your gate, we're starting soon!" A chuunin examiner called out from the woods, pointing the group towards their designated spot. Naruto felt his blood spike a bit as he came in front of the metal enclosure.

'First time in a long time that I get to let loose…this is going to be awesome…'

xXxXxXx

Orochimaru sighed in frustration as he slipped inside his opponent's defenses. 'Honestly, what are the lightning village teaching kids these days if their Jounin can't even put up a decent fight…' The snake Sannin smiled as he slashed the girl in front of him across her arm, smirking at the fight that they seemed to want to put up. It had been a while since he'd allowed himself to enjoy a fight, and he was certainly going to be getting his pound of flesh.

The girl in front of him had an Amegakure headband around her head, and was dressed in a black halter top and long skirt, going with her black hair. Green eyes looked out at him, filled with fatigue from keeping up with the ninja legend. At her feet were broken fans with shattered senbon sticking out of them. Her pale skin was marred with several cuts here and there, and her ninja supply pouch seemed mostly exhausted at the moment. Though the headband had said Amegakure, it had only taken Orochimaru a few moments to realize that this was Kumo kunoichi, and one from the proud Jinton, or Swift Release, family. Her teammates had sadly been rather blasé, Chuunin from the obvious brief struggle they put up. This girl though was interesting to him.

"Are you sure you won't reveal to me who hired you yet?" Orochimaru seemed to draw out the words, hoping the foolish girl would retaliate against him once more. While Orochimaru was not the fastest fighter in the world, this girls swift release movements were far from mastered, and so it was child's play for Orochimaru to keep pace.

"Who the hell are you…no grass genin can fight as you do…" Orochimaru smirked at the woman before flashing forward and planting a fist in her gut, smashing her back against the tree. The shattering of the bark there was the first sign that any combat had taken place in the forested clearing.

'I always did value the ability to decimate my opponents while leaving little sign of my passing…' Orochimaru smiled at the landscape, where only the rare spatter of blood had shown any combat had taken place. The girl flashed forward while Orochimaru was distracted, planting a fist covered with lightning chakra against his temple, only to be rewarded by a brutal return attack as the blow went unnoticed.

"Suffice it to say that you are well out of your league…especially for a new jounin of Kumogakure…" The girls eyes went wide at this, and the snake summoner smiled in return. 'Though it is a pain to lose the reputation my actual face gives me, my ability to inspire fear doesn't seem to have lessened too greatly…' The girl in front of him seemed to decide that honesty was the better part of valor, and lowered her guard slightly.

"If I tell you, and tell you my mission, will you leave my comrades and I alive?" Orochimaru simply smiled at the girl, and nodded for her to continue. "My name is Mitsuko, Mitsuko Jinton, of the Jinton clan. I was sent under cover by order of the Raikage. Through our alliance with Amegakure, we managed to insert ourselves as a team from the Rain Village. My teammates and I were sent on a mission to kill or weaken Naruto Inuzuka, also known as Naruto Namikaze at this point in time, as well as test the general level of Shinobi. If possible, we were also to take, either by force or by coercion, Sasuke Uchiha or Hinata Hyuuga, and return to the village." The Snake summoner merely smiled wider at the mention of the Uchiha, and Mitsuko felt her confidence drop. The man had made a mockery of her team, destroying them utterly without missing a beat. She could only hope that her revelation would buy her some clemency from the monster she faced.

"Well…you will have to withdraw your interest in Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuuga if you wish to live…but other than that, your mission is of no consequence to me…feel free to continue it once this portion of the exam is over." Mitsuko seemed to blink back bitter resignation at that as she nodded her head. "You understand that if you breathe a word about our encounter to the world, I will also expose the entirety of your mission, correct?" The black haired beauty nodded to herself, and Orochimaru cackled at the instance in front of him. 'It's not every day you're told that two kekkei genkai are competing in the same tournament…that the Hyuuga heir is allowed to compete is a grand surprise…I'll have to use this to my advantage…'

xXxXxXx

"Hokage-sama, it is to our advantage to pursue this lead now. No genin should have had the ability to answer those questions, and yet all three of those tests were completed without cheating…only one leaf genin, Sakura Haruno, managed that, and she's regarded as an academic genius in the village, a fact known by several outside sources." The Hokage did not seemed impressed and merely drew further on his pipe. As the smoke filled the Hokage's office, cluttered with paperwork and cabinets, Ibiki realized that the legend in front of him was thinking heavily.

"While academic talent is not unheard of in young genin, your report does leave me with some worry; Anko Mitarashi has already contacted me that one of the genin in the exam, a grass ninja, seemed to make use of a long forgotten kusagakure technique, the snake tongue, and as such has flagged my attention." The Hokage stood from his spot behind the desk, and looked out over the village. "I do not need to remind you that a spy has also been confirmed as being within the upper ranks of our village, as an informant outside the village reported that Naruto Inuzuka's true lineage has been revealed. That mixed with our villages past statements about not possessing a Jinchuuriki might have worried some of the great five." Ibiki did not seem to follow the line of logic, and the old man sighed tiredly.

"If we have managed to keep pace with the other villages, while training and raising Naruto as a powerful weapon, with an impressive lineage, under secret from the rest of the world, the damage that we could cause on an international scale is fairly large. Currently, Iwagakure is dealing with internal struggles that keep them pinned down, Suna is reeling from the loss of finances that come from the Leaf village taking the better missions, and the Mist village is still recovering from a recent civil war…if I was the Raikage, I'd be fairly worried that Konoha could be planning an invasion at any moment, with a powerful force ready to smash down their doors…" Ibiki felt his muscles tighten at that. While the Hokage had been talking, Ibiki had been playing over in his head the image that Naruto had presented to the other villages. A powerful young leader, who is unafraid of challenge, and exudes a powerful level of chakra; combined with a legendary lineage, and trained by the elite ninja of the village, he could begin to see how opposing nations would expect the boy to be a terror in combat.

"Ibiki, I want you to prep the Anbu…this is a trying time for our village, and we need to know if Kumogakure is going to strike preemptively or not…in the meantime, have the sentries push past the normal boundaries of our village…the last thing I want is an expeditionary force getting too close and sparking needless conflict." The Hokage's back was turned as he looked out over the village, and Ibiki had to force himself to not worry for the elder in front of him. Ibiki nodded as he turned and left the room, missing the growing tension and seriousness in the Hokage's face.

'This situation feels like the work of an old enemy…though I'm not sure if he has truly returned to Konoha. This could be most troublesome…'

xXxXxXx

"Troublesome…this whole test is…" Shikamaru was in a funk, and that was for sure. The test had barely even begun yet, and already they were running through the woods of this insane forest, dodging monster attacks at every turn. To top it off, they had met up with Kiba and his group early on, and Ino and Kiba were arguing like crazy.

"Blondes are always troublesome, Ino! Trust me, it turns out I've been living with one for years!" Ino scoffed at Kiba, turning her attention back to the woods.

"Hah, what do you know, dog breath? From what I've heard, you were always the one getting in to trouble when you two were kids!" Kiba bristled at the remark, and Akamaru barked playfully at the pair, running between Kiba's legs. The white dog hair stood out starkly against the dark grey pants and blue sandals the boy wore.

"Can you two be quiet please…we're trying to avoid detection, you know?" Choji looked up from his bag of chips to say that, seeming intent for a moment on their surroundings.

"Hinata…" Kiba's silent request had the girl activating her Byakugan in an instant. The group tensed as the girl looked around them, though she seemed to relax after a moment or two. Shaking her head with a smile on her face the group breathed a sigh of relief.

Everyone nodded and took up a position in a forested clearing. The group had been moving for an hour or so into the forested wilderness, and had decided to stay further out rather than risk moving inward and encountering more teams. Naruto and Gai's team had both decided to stay to either side of the joint group, that way one combat team would always be ready to interfere should something happen.

The sun was already fading towards the west, showing that there were not many hours left in the day. With the ability to stake long distance sentries, Shikamaru was not too worried about the coming night. 'No, not worried for my sake…but Naruto's team will have it the worst…yeah he can hear and somewhat smell trouble coming, but there's only one of him…this could be unpleasant if things go all pear shaped…' It was at times like this that the Nara understood why his sensei smoked; the nerve wrecking waiting game never held much appeal.

"Wait, I sense a group moving against Naruto's team!" Hinata's voice cut through the group as everyone stopped assembling their gear. "I can't make out much but…yes, they have rain village headbands!" Shikamaru felt his blood run cold and instantly realized that all eyes had turned towards him and Shino.

'Great, because we're the masterminds, we get to make the life or death calls…' Shikamaru cursed his luck and noticed that Shino had in turn begun to look at Shikamaru, acknowledging the Nara's tactical expertise. 'Crap…I know Naruto wasn't kidding about his team's destructive power, but is it really ok to not engage?' Coming to a decision quickly, Shikamaru stood to his full height, dusting off his calf length pants as he did.

"Alright, we're not going to interfere right away…if Naruto and his team really get it stuck in, then we will go to help, but we have to trust that if they can't handle it, it's probably not something we can aid in too much…Our job is to provide a distraction, or aid them to set up a retrieval, not as combat support." Kiba seemed to bristle at the description of their roles, but Hinata merely nodded at him and the Inuzuka calmed himself. "For now, focus on setting up camp and establishing a perimeter. We're the base group for the teams, we need to stay focused here." Everyone seemed to be emboldened by that a little bit, and Ino even smiled in Shikamaru's direction, nodding towards the lazy ninja.

'Whatever happens, those guys better be alright, otherwise we're all in serious trouble…'

xXxXxXx

"Stop. We're in trouble guys. Someone has been managing to follow us through the woods, and I've been masking our trail wherever we go…" The comment was quietly said, but Naruto's teammates reacted instantly. Sasuke came to a halt on a tree branch as Naruto stood to his full height. Pulling his bow from behind the back of his black jacket, Naruto knocked an arrow and tensed the string.

"It's someone using a wide area genjustu as well…it's really well cast, I can feel it, but I'm unable to break the effect since I can't target the user." Sakura replied, concurring with Naruto's statement, pulling her own whips from her side. Sasuke grunted in agreement and pulled his tanto as well.

"They seem to be waiting for us to make a move…perhaps they track without sound, so we have a chance to plan for a moment." Sasuke's comment drew a nod from Naruto, who made the hand sign for diversion. The others nodded in agreement, and Naruto suddenly jumped away from the group.

"I need to take a piss, I'll be back in a second!" Naruto's loud cry echoed over the canopy, and Sasuke grimaced at the act.

'Does he seriously need to try and fake for them? They must know that we're not all that dense…' Nontheless, Sasuke took up the role of idly sharpening his blade while leaning against a tree. Sakura for her part was looking over her gear, and seemed to be fiddling with things in the meantime. Both were prepped for whatever was coming, but best to appear off guard to an enemy.

It wasn't long before Naruto walked back into the clearing, a refreshed look on his face. Sasuke smirked at first, but felt his eyes narrow in concentration as the boy approached.

"That was quick, you must not have had to crap too much…" Sakura was surprised at Sasuke's tone; the Uchiha almost never swore, thinking such things beneath his clan status.

"Yeah, guess I just had to go, you know?" Sakura nodded to Sasuke in understanding; the real Naruto would have caught the change in Sasuke's demeanor, and she sent a brace of shuriken flying toward the impostor. In an instant the false Naruto's black jacket and pants faded away to reveal a tan body suit, complete with a rebreather and a black set of hair. Across the youth's forehead was the symbol for Amegakure, and Sasuke instantly recognized this kid as the real deal of the village hidden in the rain.

"Figures, you would know something like who swears and who doesn't…" The genin fired a kunai in return at Sasuke, the shot right on target to split Sasuke's skull. The boy reacted by jumping into a back flip, and practicing what he knew from tree and water walking, used chakra to grab and redirect the throw back at the genin. Cursing as he was cut, the ninja jumped back towards the woods, hoping to fade away from the group. He quickly found an arrow head piercing his side and swore as he fell to the canopy floor.

"Tell your teammates, that if they want to slip past an Inuzuka, they'll have to do a lot better than that…" Naruto growled as he approached the rookie from behind. Placing his hand on the genin, Naruto turned him so that he could smash a fist in the genin's face. Upon looking him in the eyes though, Naruto felt his senses disorient quickly, and suddenly realized that he had been grabbing air. 'Shit! Genjutsu, the son of a bitch!' Naruto grabbed his hand and bit it once, the pain breaking the illusion.

"He got away Naruto, don't worry about it. Though, I think with that, we won't be receiving much trouble from the lot of them…" Sakura looked down at Naruto, and jumped down to join him on the forest floor.

"Still, hate it when they get away like that, it's always a pain." Sasuke nodded to Naruto as he landed, and Naruto pulled out his arrow that had injured the boy. Drawing it to his nose, Naruto smiled as he looked back into the woods.

"Before you go after them, hand over the scroll. Best we keep it with at least two of us at all times." Naruto nodded and fished it out of his pockets. "Don't engage them, unless you get them one on one...we might be good, but you're not that good, blockhead." Naruto bristled at Sasuke's comment but nodded in agreement before standing up. The two looked each other in the eye, Sasuke enjoying his sleight height advantage.

"They can cast all the genjutsu they like, but you can't hide from your own smell…" Naruto smirked as he ran off into the woods. "I'll use a flare if I get in trouble, but these lot seem like I can handle them on my own. You guys set up camp while I'm gone?" Sasuke shook his head, but nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, we'll have it ready for when you get back…the next group is mine though…" Sasuke smiled as Naruto ran off, already itching for his own chance at combat. While he would have liked to have joined in, the truth was that the genin they faced seemed rather weak to him. It would have been a waste of effort to have gone after them, and camp still needed to be set up before dark.

xXxXxXx

'Can't believe I let that bastard get away from me…I'll hunt him down and bring him back, then we can ransom him for the scroll…' Naruto was focusing on the blood trail in front of him, picking up the scent now and again as he moved. Jumping into a nearby tree, the boy climbed it quickly, his limbs sticking to it with ease thanks to his chakra exercises.

Climbing to the top of the tree, Naruto took a second to look over his surroundings, trying to guess the direction of his targets group. Before he could focus for too long though, a massive wind smashed into from out of nowhere and rocketing him across the landscape. 'What the hell is this crap?' Naruto banged againt trunks and branches as he flew, getting banged up here and there. Sparing a moment, Naruto tried to use his chakra to stick to a tree only to be forced away by his surroundings. Suddenly, he found himself face first on the ground, his body smashed up here and there from his flight.

'That was not something a genin could do…' Naruto thought to himself groggily. He found himself in a wooded area, with a large hole behind him. The yawning shape brought back fresh memories, and Naruto quickly realized he was sitting in front of the giant snake hole from his training days. 'Shit…not where I want to be…' A large hissing sound from behind the blonde informed him that today was not his day…

xXxXxXx

Sakura stretched from where she was sitting by the fire; gathering the wood had taken no time at all, and Sasuke quickly had a fire started. With one tent for the three of them, one would be on watch while the other two slept at all times. 'Since we're in a combat situation too, we have to sleep with gear on, how annoying…' Sakura had her arm and leg plates on, covering her shins and forearms. Her red battle kimono with the white fringes ended at the elbows and upper thighs, and a black set of battle shorts covered her down to the knees. Her mesh armor poked out from underneath, and she had her long pink hair out behind her. It had grown since she exited the academy and had made its way all the way down to her waist.

Beginning to braid it, she noted Sasuke returning from the woods, a set of rabbits and fodder draped over his shoulder. Sasuke still wore the traditional Uchiha jacket, with arm warmers concealing metal guards on his forearms, and white shorts stopping near knee height. He had black shinobi sandals and black gloves though, the most recent additions to his repertoire since the mission to Wave. She had seen him practicing with the chakra redirection with them, and figured they must be special in some fashion, though she was not sure what yet.

"Naruto still not back yet?" Sasuke's straight forward question jarred Sakura out of her musings and she shook her head at him. "That's odd. He shouldn't have taken that long." Rustling movement came from a nearby direction, and Sasuke and Sakura turned to see Naruto standing there, his face set in an angry scowl.

"Naruto, did they manage to get away from you?" Naruto looked up suddenly, and nodded, his demeanor calm and lightly relaxed. This instantly put Sakura on guard, and Sasuke turned to nod at her, quickly switching his Sharingan on. In an instant the boy tensed and threw a salvo of kunai at the impostor in front of him. The doppleganger opponent dropped the image immediately, revealing himself to be the genin from the start of the second exam, his brown hair and smiling face shining in the campfire light.

"Well well, bringing the Sharingan out so soon against me, what an honor! And it's developed enough to detect a henge on sight, what a useful ability…" The man's voice was silky and smooth, as if practiced by a politician. "Surely you two wouldn't mind sharing a meal with a fellow competitor though, now would you?" Sakura rose from the campfire, and Sasuke signaled to her as well.

"The only food you'll be getting from us, is a fist full of steel!" Sakura growled as she engaged a wide range hidden mist technique, pulling the evening moisture easily from the air.

"What an inventive team you have here, Sasuke…fighting you should prove most interesting…" The killing intent that radiated from the man instantly had Sakura and Sasuke wishing that the mist was not there.

'This is worse than the fight against Zabuza! Who the hell is this kid, and where is Naruto at?' Sasuke felt the telltale rattle of his hands return, and he had to will himself to calm down; a wrong move here would certainly end up with him dead on a battlefield.

"Now…which one of you two should I start with…the pink haired brat, or the main course Uchiha?" A large burst of wind ripped through the clearing, scattering the mist everywhere. The man in front of them had a malicious look on his face, and the aura about him screamed death and dismemberment. Sasuke and Sakura found themselves rooted in place, the fear was so intense. Pulling weapons seemingly from nowhere, the strange man threw them in a sudden salvo at the duo, the weapons moving at blinding speed.

'Damn it! I can't move, my body shut down!' Stabbing himself in the leg, Sasuke felt some sensation return to him as he faced down the barrage of steel. Moving quickly, he thrust himself in front of Sakura, and deflected as many of the projectiles as he could. Feeling several graze his body, Sasuke grunted in pain, but noticed that Sakura was moving again as well.

"Don't freeze up on me Sakura, we're going to need everything to get out of here." The girl nodded in response, and pulled her whips out. Sasuke idly noted the chakra channeling down them, and felt his appreciation for his teammate rise as he did. 'She might not have mastered full control over them yet, but she's at least learning how to control the powers in combat already…let's see if she can make that oil slick more readily though…'

"Twice in one day, people willing to face my fear aura…guess I'll need to improve it a bit…it is muted some from my new form I guess…" The man across from them seemed to be muttering to himself, and Sasuke took it as an opportune moment. Sakura smiled in agreement, and pulled out several small black pellets from her weapons pouch.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Sasuke roared as projectile fireballs sailed from his mouth, racing towards his opponent. Sakura threw the spheres she had as well, contacting each fireball as they approached, setting off a powerful explosion. Smirking at the combined attack, the two genin did not even notice the shape slip past their guard. In an instant, brutal horse kicks smashed into each of their guts as they were sent across the clearing. They impacted together against a large tree, and the man seemed to shake a single finger of admonishment at them.

"Attacking your opponent while distracted, that's very good. Though not very noble for an Uchiha…" Sasuke spat at the man; he had made it through the combined attack without injury. "Now then, as I have your attention…let's really get down to work…" The man blazed through hand seals, and in an instant, a large snake appeared beneath his feet, "It's time to determine who's the predator, and who's the prey…"

xXxXxXx

Yep, ending it there! Sorry for the wait everyone, had to go through the first semester of grad school, and man did it leave me exhausted! Still, enjoy this as an early Christmas present, hopefully get the next couple out to you over this break. Then I'll go dark for a while and pop up again after new years, before returning later in the year. Time for an Omake first though, and then some review response!

Omake 3 Dog Days of Training 3

Sasuke straightened on the tree branch, trying to calm his anger. 'Stupid idiots…why do they spare time for emotions when we've got other things to worry about…must be because they have families to go home to…' Sasuke pulled out the data book and began marking down the animals he saw.

'Honestly, it's like connections to people make you incompetent or something…Naruto's the only one whose ever been able to get that straight and keep up, and even he's going after Tenten these days!' Sasuke took a breath to calm himself as she looked over the woods. In the distance, he could see Naruto and Sakura looking over things as well, Naruto scanning a certain area and Sakura marking things down as he went. 'At least when he's away from Tenten, he can get the job done right…'

"It makes sense to work together on this job. Why you ask? Because you are not a tracker, and I am in need of a strong partner to assist in this job." Sasuke blinked in surprise at the Aburame sneaking up on him, but turned and nodded to Shino. The boy had black sunglasses, a large grey trench coat, and black shinobi pants. His brown hair stood up in every direction, and Sasuke noticed that his hands seemed attached to the inside of his pockets.

"Fine. Just don't talk too much or bother me about relationships, alright?" Sasuke barked. Though he was not sure, he thought he detected what sounded like a chuckle coming from Shino.

"Don't worry Uchiha, I have no interest in relationships much like yourself. My bugs keep almost all girls our age away, so I too share your opinion on the oddness of relations at our age." Sasuke grunted in agreement, and proceeded to make his way into the forest. Shino jumped to catch up to him as well.

"That one makes no sense to me as well. Your clan is a kekkei genkai like mine, and you have a similar cool and detached attitude. So what if you use bugs, they're downright useful sometime." Shino chuckled as well, though he need appreciatively to the Uchiha.

"Your thoughts mirror my own. Though, your demeanor has changed somewhat since you were at the academy," Sasuke looked up at Shino and gave the boy a raised eyebrow in response, "You are sociable now. I think that has something to do with the mitigating effects of being near Naruto." Sasuke scoffed at this, though he didn't deny Shino's statement. The two moved through the forest, working in silence for a while, and identifying the game they came across and recording it. Sasuke paused suddenly though, and Shino was worried he had offended the other silent genin.

"Naruto's strong, and though I still have a slight edge over him, he's getting stronger everyday. He's a good measuring post for me, and he always runs his mouth. Just responding once in a while is nice, and since he's not a complete moron, it makes an easy partnership." Shino was taken aback at the sudden revelation, but nodded towards Sasuke. Sasuke grunted at that, and motioned for them to continue into the woods.

'Maybe Naruto has changed me…maybe I'm more willing to open up now. I know that he and Sakura can help with my ambition, and if I share with them the story of what happened, perhaps they'll understand why I'm so driven…' Sasuke smiled to himself, the first real one he'd had in a long time. 'I probably have to thank Neji as well when I get the chance...since Sakura isn't fawning over me all the time anymore, I can actually get a long with her...' Sasuke felt his smile grow into a natural one, the first one since that day years ago, when his clan and his emotions had seemingly been ripped from him in an instant.

xXxXxXx

S'alright! Review comment time! Only couple out there to throw out, then it's on to the presses with this bad boy!

Dark Inu Fan: So, welcome to the show! Glad you burned through all of it as your review says it is at chapter 13! Yeah, I'm trying to differentiate the two forms of Naruto. This one is smart, but not brainy, strong, but not all powerful, and definitely more willing to cut someone up if need be. He's going to get a lot of learning in this next set of chapters though, because up til now he's been able to handle what's been thrown his way.

Hanife2: As for Sakura's back story, I added the abuse to get to her overall character story line. She's going to be a bit of a wild card, so once you get later in the tale you'll pick up why I have her get this back story of abuse. As for the reason I chose that for her as a character, Naruto has a fairly happy back story now, with some bad stuff that arises later, sort of a ghosts of the past thing. Sakura's ghosts are set up to be ghosts of the present, things that will haunt her everyday lifestyle, and Sasuke's are ghosts of the future, namely his fight with his brother. I'm setting up a system of foils here, so each of the three can play off of one another, and I hope it comes across in the later chapters.

Laura-Jean 95: Thanks for the heads up, and welcome to the fic! New chapter here so I hope you return! With this I managed to get through the brutally long and dragging Chuunin Written Exam (guh!) and am looking forward to more action sequences in the coming chapters.

To all the other reviewers out there, thanks for the shout outs and I'll get the next one to you as soon as I can! Hope you enjoy, and until next time, R&R please!


	15. Chapter 15: Dog Meat I

Round two of holiday writing, HOT OFF THE PRESS!

Quick note off to Macilnar: Sarutobi kind of knew that Sakura would be forced. He also knew that Danzo was the only option that would insure that her powers had some semblance of control, especially with only ten days for Danzo to work with before she was pitched into the exams. Kind of a bad situation all around. Sarutobi also has reasons for wanting Sakura under Danzo's thumb, but those will get played out later. On the note of Naruto, the seal didn't truly start to malfunction until after Kurama's death. Why that is is a plot point for later, delve into the kitsune history of Japan if you want a hint.

Other side note, I've decided from here on out that I'll use the Japanese names for various techniques. It seems to be a large enough trend elsewhere, so I'll include them in. Whenever I give a new original one, I'll put a blurb at the bottom as well.

With that said, here we go!

I own nothing but the original stuff!

xXxXxXx

"Today is so not my day…" Naruto grimaced at the sight in front of him, feeling his blood run cold even as sweat broke out on his forehead. In front of the blonde genin was a giant snake, easily about thirty feet in height and triple that in length. The snake was colored brown with large, thick scales, and the bright yellow eyes pierced into Naruto with a growing hunger. The large mouth opened in a hissing protest, and Naruto gaped at the size of the reptiles jaw.

'Shit, he's got giant fangs and that mouth is big enough to fit my whole team in there!' Naruto stopped pondering this for a moment, and felt his back get slammed from behind him. Righting himself quickly, Naruto jumped out of the way of a follow up slam, shaking his head once to get his orientation back.

"Alright you miserable son of a bitch, you want to go, huh?" The snake roared at Naruto, and the boy only sneered back in response, "Fine then. You got it coming to you…_Gijuu Ninpou: Shikyaku no Jutsu_." The air around Naruto grew dense and his facial markings became noticeably darker. He felt his claws extend, and Naruto flashed through several more hand signs before a tell-tale whine began to grow from his hands. "_Fuuton: Kaze Kagitzume…"_ The snake seemed to pause as it regarded Naruto more carefully; the snack now appeared to have a decent set of claws.

"Not coming to me yet? Fine, I'll come to you! _Futon: Tsuga!"_ Naruto came barreling towards the snake, a spinning drill that kicked massive amounts of dust into the air. Naruto's claws tore into the snake hide, and he felt himself slow as he encountered the great mass of the beast. Unfortunately, the gouge slowed Naruto down long enough for the snake to retaliate. In an instant Naruto was slammed against the side of a tree, bark flying in every direction.

Blood trickled down into Naruto's eyes as he caught his breath, jumping quickly to the side as the snake flashed past him. The jaws closed sickeningly on a rotted trunk next to him, sending debris flying. Hissing in anger, the snake turned and spat a bubbling substance at Naruto's face. 'Man, this is seriously not my day!' "_Futon: Kaze Seki!"_ Wind poured from Naruto in a spiraling fashion, directing the substance in various directions. The ground it impacted onto fizzled loudly, turning into charred craters in the earth.

The snake lunged again, and Naruto managed to dodge to the side as the cart sized head raced past. Naruto lashed out with his claws, and growled in frustration as his attack caused nothing but surface wounds on the brute. The giant reptile turned and snapped at Naruto, and the boy growled and slashed his claws again in response. The reptile lunged back suddenly at the impact, hissing in actual pain. 'What the hell?'

Dripping from the snake's maw was blood. The blood was flowing rather freely, and seemed to come from the inside. Naruto was rewarded with the sight of a wound on the roof of the snake's mouth as it hissed at him in anger. Suddenly, the air was crushed from Naruto as a massive tail wrapped around Naruto's torso. He felt the wind chakra wrapping his claws sink into the tail of the beast, and it roared in pain, thrashing him into the nearest tree. 'Damnit, how the hell am I supposed to get out of this?' The roar from the snake sprayed blood onto Naruto's face, and the genin looked up in pain at the inside of the snakes jaw. 'Yeah, that's the only way, isn't it?' Naruto let the jutsu drop, and let his body go limp.

The tail slowed it's thrashing, and brought Naruto to its face, peering intently at the youth. Sniffing once, Naruto felt his blood run cold as the predator smelled him out. 'Just get it over with, you oversized garter snake! Eat me!' The snake seemed to hear Naruto's thoughts, lunging forward suddenly and swallowing Naruto in a single bite.

'In hindsight, probably not one of my better ideas…' Naruto grimaced as the acid that had eaten through some of the ground made a sudden reappearance. Grunting as it began to eat through his clothes and spread over his armor, Naruto forced to bring his arms up into a hand seal. 'Alright, let's see if this works…first time for every new jutsu…' "_Fuuton: Usugiri Kaze Seki!" _Wind whipped around Naruto, bringing a buzzsaw whine to the air. The snake thrashed in pain and anger, but Naruto felt the pressure return around him a moment later.

"Damn thing can heal that fast?!" Naruto grimaced, panic truly starting to set in as the acid had made its way through his outer layer of armor. 'Shit, how can I get this thing to throw up?!' Naruto immediately flashed back to him and his teammates stuffing their faces in Wave Country, and Sasuke almost getting sick. "Gotcha, you damn reptile…_Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"_ Naruto flushed as much chakra as he could into the jutsu, growing panicked as the pressure of sudden bodies crushed him even further. He was about to give up when he felt the stomach lining of the beast beginning to stretch. Without warning, the beast shattered into a thousand pieces, suddenly spraying blood and gore across the forest floor.

"Ha…ha, you damn bastard. I'm not getting turned into shit here…I have to become Hokage one day…" Naruto felt his knees go week, and he fell to the forest floor suddenly. The fight had certainly taken a fair bit out of him, and Naruto reached into his pocket to pull out a soldier pill. Crunching down on the pill, Naruto felt his second wind come to him rather quickly. "Alright, let's get out of here and back to the others…I doubt that gust of wind was a coincidence…" Naruto absently noticed that the snake acids had eaten through most of his plate armor, and that the clones he'd summoned were almost all destroyed.

'Still got a couple of them…let's see what the others are up to…'

xXxXxXx

"Hinata, where are the others at?" The Hyuuga heiress finished her attack against the enemy ninja, managing to score a critical blow on the female ninja's sternum. They had been leaf genin, from the looks of it ones sent through the reserve program judging by their age, but had been woefully outclassed by the clan elites. Kiba's voice had jarred her out of her focus; they enemy had attempted to ambush the group around the time that Naruto's group had been attacked. The divergence had kept them from setting up camp properly, or even attempting to send aid.

"Shikamaru and Shino have the trap set, let's spring it now!" Choji's voice came to their left, the Akimichi tearing through the undergrowth in his expanded form. The genin they faced were unsure what to do against the giant rolling tank, choosing to repeatedly dodge out of the way of the incoming attack. To make matters worse for them, Ino had captured one of their bodies early on, making the fight entirely one sided.

"Gennai, get out of the way!" A female enemy ninja yanked their teammate to the side as Choji went rolling past, only to freeze suddenly in place. Her limbs seemed to stop moving, and as she looked down, she noticed bugs crawling over her body. She let out one blood curdling scream and suddenly fell completely limp. The bugs crawled back from a plain faced shinobi in her early twenties, brown hair covered by a bandana and a Konoha headband emblazoned on her forehead. She had been the teams medical officer, and wore a green fitted top with brown pants and a sash that contained her supplies.

"Inaho, no!" Gennai tried to move and intervene, but felt his body go rigid. Looking back he saw a shadow spread out over him, rooting him in place. The man felt his features go rigid; it was insulting to lose to such young shinobi, but he recognized the members of the group as belonging to several of Konoha's famous clans. 'Damn it…I knew that attacking a young group was a bad idea, but Komugi just wouldn't listen…'

"It's best if you surrender now. We've captured one of your teammates, and have incapacitated the other. Don't make this overly troublesome." Gennai heard a voice approach him from the woods, the fading afternoon sun lending long shadows to the surroundings. Shikamaru appeared suddenly from the forest backdrop, and Gennai cursed again at his ill-luck.

"Inaho has the scroll in her medical supplies…If you let us continue we'll make sure to stay out of your way…" Shikamaru nodded at that, and proceeded towards the medical officer, keeping his shadow in control of the man at all times. In doing so, he walked Gennai over towards Kiba, who gladly positioned a kunai at the back captured man. 'Komugi was wrong, it wasn't one team of youngsters but two…no wonder we were outgunned from the beginning…'

"Thanks. Get going now that we have the scroll. Once you're far enough away, we'll release your teammate to you." Gennai just nodded to this and picked Inaho up off the ground, carrying her away into the woods.

"We got lucky that they were careless enough to attack us…Hinata, what's our surroundings look like? Do we have any more incoming?" Hinata nodded to Shikamaru, switching her Byakugan to a long range sweep.

"We have another group approaching our position…our combat must have tipped them off. Naruto!" Hinata's sudden gasp had Kiba looking to her worriedly, "Naruto's facing a giant snake! And Sasuke and Sakura are fighting a lone genin…and losing!" The whole gathered crowd looked fearful at this, and Shikamaru grunted in annoyance.

"Crap…a second fight, so soon? How far out are our opponents? I want to finish this one fast so we can go and help the others…" Shikamaru's lazy response settled the nerves of the others, though inside the Nara was sweating. 'A single genin keeping up with Sasuke and Sakura in straight up combat…not someone worth tangling with…'

"They…they are almost here! There are three of them, and they all have a higher chakra output than most of us do…" Shikamaru groaned in annoyance at that, and turned to Ino's position in the woods, hidden among the top of a tree.

"Ino, release our guest here, we have more incoming!" The other leaf genin from before, a man with spiky black hair and a small goatee named Komugi shook his head as he came to, and nodded before running off into the woods. "Everyone, form up with your teams, we're not going to be able to hold back on these guys…" Shikamaru took stock as he moved with Choji to stand by Ino.

Disappearing into the nearby woods, Team Asuma used their oldest tactic, the tactical retreat to lie in wait. 'Crap, we're all tired from the last bout too…it might not have lasted long, but we all used fairly intensive techniques…the only really fresh one is Shino from his bugs harvesting that kids chakra…'

Shikamaru felt his thoughts derail from the sudden arrival in front of him. Smashing into the clearing was a woman on a giant iguana, her blonde hair braided behind her back, pooling near her slim waist and hips. She wore a green hoodie with a black hood and with a white torso section of cloth stretched across her bust. A black belt cinched the material at her waist, and various scrolls hung from it. Her legs were covered in black shorts that ended mid-thigh, with black cloth wraps securing weapons holsters to her long legs. She had on green shinobi sandals which stretched into boot like shin guards, and a Takigakure headband was wrapped around her left arm. Her eyes were a honey brown, and swept over the clearing in an instant.

Her familiar was a large green iguana with similarly honey brown eyes. Large scales covered the animal's torso, interrupted only by a large saddle that was draped over its midsection. Large claws, razor sharp, extended from the beasts appendages, and a long tail swept out behind it. The creatures head swiveled side to side, and the tongue of the iguana slipped to and fro, sampling the air. Shikamaru knew that their hidden position would not last long.

The man accompanying her seemed to also have a good grasp of his surroundings, as his eyes narrowed in on the position of Shikamaru and his teammates. He had blonde hair and brown skin, to go with an aquiline face, framed in a haughty disposition. He was clothed in a white vest that had a large opening near the neck line, with a wrapped silver scarf around his neck. On his arms were sleeves that extended from below his wrist up to the start of his shoulder muscles, with mesh armor covering his exposed skin. Long grey leggings covered down to the tops of his shins, where cloth wraps underneath mesh armor could also be seen. His sandals were a matching shade of green as the girl, and his village headband was strapped around his waist like a belt. Weapons holsters were also strapped to the man's legs, higher up on his left than his right.

"The targets are here Suika…time to go hunting…" The girl nodded to the man's spoken words, and began flashing through several hand signs. Shikamaru felt his mouth go dry as his new opponents suddenly disappeared from view.

'Crap…an invisible opponent is way too troublesome…'

xXxXxXx

"Come now, I suspected better than running and hiding from Kakashi's students…" Orochimaru chided as Sasuke and Sakura continued to pepper his snake from the treetops with various attacks. Truthfully, it was wearing a bit thin, and his summons was taking a bit of damage, so Orochimaru sighed and dismissed his pet.

"I guess I'll have to make you want to fight me seriously after all…Let's see, you have a heaven scroll…so you need my Earth scroll right?" Sasuke watched from the forest edge, Sakura panting next to him. Though they had not engaged in serious combat with the mysterious opponent, they had been constantly using the _Shunshin _to keep ahead of the snake's attacks.

"This should make the fight more interesting…" Orochimaru purred as he pulled the scroll from his pocket. In an instant, his long tongue extended from his mouth, wrapping around the brown scroll with the kanji for earth printed on one side. Bringing the scroll up to his mouth, the snake Sannin swallowed the scroll as he looked around the clearing.

"There, now you'll have to kill me to claim your victory…" in an instant, the snake man disappeared, coming to existence in front of Sasuke and Sakura. Powerful kicks knocked the two of them back into the clearing, though they managed to fortify themselves before impacting the dirt below. "Now let's begin the fight for each other's scrolls…with our lives on the line!" Orochimaru pulled at the skin like mask covering his face as he stared down at the leaf genin, his reptilian eye emerging from underneath his false cover.

In an instant, the fear from before was back, but multiplied over in intensity by a thousand times. Sasuke felt his entire body go numb for a moment, but calmed himself as he gripped his injured leg. 'Interesting…having faced up to it once, and overcome it, he can continue to do so…what an inspiring specimen the Uchiha is…'

"We're going to have to face him in combat Sakura…there's no other way this guy will back down." Sakura nodded to Sasuke, and took a moment to steady herself as well.

"Interesting…prey such as you shouldn't relax for even a moment when faced with a predator." The fear aura pinged at the duo again, but their training and experiences helped them fight down the impulse to run.

"I'm an Uchiha, hell if I'll run away from a fight. Sakura, let's try it, even without Naruto!" Sakura nodded to the boy, and Sasuke jumped to the right, pulling shuriken from his pocket. "_Yuuden! Shounetsujigoku!" _Both of their cries filled the clearing as their hands flashed through hand signs at a blinding speed.

All of the spots on the ground where Sakura's pellets had hit the flame suddenly began to form oil pools on the ground, and Orochimaru felt his eyes widen at the planning of the duo. Flames shot from Sasuke's mouth in the shape of a dragon, and Orochimaru quickly realized that they had positioned their falls so he would land in the epicenter of the technique. The burning heat quickly ignited the growing oil slick, and Orochimaru felt his eyes widen at the power behind the two jutsu. He felt his eyes widen as he saw a struggling Sakura launch a pair of explosive kunai directly toward him, followed by oil bullets launched from her mouth.

"Oh my…this is unpleasant…" The explosion rocked the clearing as the flames reached the target, and the flames made the Sannin's skin tingle in pain. Had he not fortified his body with a covering of earth, the damage could have been quite extensive. 'That technique was well laid out for ones their age…brings back memories of my old team…still, it lacks a strong enough punch to do anything to me…'

"Do you think we got him with that one?" Sakura panted to Sasuke, pulling a soldier pill from her pocket. The attack had covered a wide range, and causing the chakra laced oil particles to spread into an oil slick took a lot of effort from her. 'Still, Danzo was right, that is a nasty surprise to pull on someone…hopefully the scroll made it through in one piece…'

"Yeah, we can relax now. There's no way a genin could make it through something like that…" Sasuke felt his Sharingan fade from his eyes, and coughed once or twice to clear the gagging taste of oil burning. 'Yeah, we can relax, we got that bastard…'

"I told you not to relax…" Orochimaru's voice had the duo frozen in place for an instant. The snake ninja delivered a vicious blow to the back of Sakura's head, knocking her to the far side of the charred clearing. Wiping his forehead protector clear of the remaining grime, the Kusagakure symbol faded from the snake ninja's headband, to be replaced with a symbol for a single musical note.

Sasuke felt his blood run cold as the juggernaut of an enemy approached him. The man had burn marks in one or two places on his clothes, but largely seemed unaffected by the attacks. His eyes though had changed to yellow, with black murderous slits in them. He had a haunted look in his eyes, and his arms seemed to hang unnaturally at his sides. 'There's no way…there's no possible way he survived that attack…' Sasuke's body had gone in to complete shutdown, his limbs trembling more than they had since the mission to Wave.

"Now then, Sasuke, let's finish our fight without any interruptions…" A whining sound cut into the snake ninja's thoughts, and he growled as he leapt away from the Uchiha. A second later an arrow pierced the spot he was standing in, gouging over a foot into the blackened turf before slowing to a halt. 'What now? These brats are damnably persistent…'

"Sorry, didn't mean to be late to the party…looks like you guys got started without me…" Sasuke and Orochimaru looked up at Naruto, who stood in the clearing. The torso of Naruto's jacket was burned away, revealing his plate armor that was broken in several sections. The tatters of the jacket had gotten rid of his sleeves, ending around his elbows. Overall, his clothes looked like they had been thrown in a meat grinder and come out the other side; his eyes were focused on the enemy ninja though, and his hand was already on his bow, drawing a second arrow.

"Naruto, get Sakura and get out of here! This guy is after me, you don't need to get involved!" Sasuke's cry drew a smile from the enemy ninja, and Naruto growled in reply.

'Naruto Namikaze huh? It would behoove me to get rid of that brat now that I have the chance…' Orochimaru smirked and began to speed his hands through hand signs while approaching Sasuke slowly.

"To hell with that! Inuzuka don't abandon their teammates! Besides, Sakura is fine, my clone got her." Sasuke blinked and looked over and in that instant Orochimaru rushed the boy, his neck extending away from his body. "Oh no you don't! _Takeruya: Tsuugadan!_" Another howling arrow pierced the distance, and Sasuke leapt back from the approaching ninja. The arrow pierced Orochimaru through the shoulder, and the snake ninja grimaced as the injury tore through his arms and out the other side.

"Damn it Naruto! This is no time to argue!" Sasuke grabbed the scroll from his pack and turned to toss it to the mystery ninja. "Here, take this and get out of here! We don't want your Earth scroll!"

"Sasuke, what the hell are you talking about! No way are we handing that thing over!" Naruto crossed his hands in front of him, preparing to flood the area with his clones to take on the enemy ninja.

"Very interesting…hoping to escape combat, the prey offers the predator a different meal…" Orochimaru rose to his full height. While disappointed that he had not had a chance to easily mark Sasuke, he had to stay in role against these enemies. 'Accepting the scroll is the only way I get out of here with my cover in one piece…'

"Here, take the scroll and go!" Sasuke pitched the scroll across the distance, but a blur blasted between the two. An instant later Naruto stood there, crouched around the scroll, his face darkened from sight.

"What the hell are you doing?! Don't you understand? We can't touch this guy!" Suddenly Naruto straightened and decked Sasuke across the face. Chakra had begun to swirl around the boy, and Naruto felt the return of the bloodlust as if he was once more in Wave.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Sakura's cry broke through the tension, but Naruto kept his gaze fixed on Sasuke.

"Yeah, we never established a way to tell fakes apart…you smell like Sasuke, but you certainly don't sound like him…the man I know wouldn't back down like a coward." Naruto's eyes were tinted red, his pupils were dark slits. "There's no way a stupid coward like you is the Sasuke I know!" Naruto's voice cut through the clearing and left the last Uchiha speechless.

"I don't know how strong this guy is," Naruto said, turning to face the disguised ninja, "but you're the one who doesn't understand what's going on! Just because we give him the scroll doesn't mean he'll leave us alone! You're the one too freaked out to get what's happening!" Naruto drew up as much of the chakra as he could.

"Heheh, you are right Naruto-kun…Why would I take the scroll, when I can just kill you for it?" The deranged enemy ninja bit into his thumb before drawing a line of blood down his arm.

"Like hell!" Naruto yelled as he charged across the clearing, "_Fuuton: Tsuuga!"_ Naruto spiraled at the ninja, his bestial attack enhanced by vicious wind chakra wrapped around his arms and claws.

"Naruto, don't! Stop now! We have to run!" Naruto gritted his teeth as he closed with the enemy who was flashing madly through hand seals.

'I've lost respect for you Sasuke…you don't deserve to be top dog anymore if you're going to chicken out like this…' Chakra whirled around the mysterious ninja as Naruto approached, his hand seals finishing just as Naruto came within range.

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"_ A massive rattle snake appeared in front of the blonde and smashed its face against Naruto, sending him careening into a tree. The impact was loud enough to resonate through the rotting wood, and Naruto's mouth flew open in a gasp of pain. The massive snakes tongue shot out and tasted the air, flicking to and fro as Naruto began to fall from the tree.

"Go ahead, you can eat him." The ninja's response had Sasuke's eyes going wide in fear as Naruto began to fall from the tree. Naruto's eyes seemed to be closed in pain as the blonde fell towards the gaping maw. In an instant, the building sized jaw was shooting forward, aiming to swallow the blonde whole.

"Your snake can eat shit!" Naruto's extended claw smashed into the jaw of the snake, dragging it down to impact with a tree branch. The red glow around Naruto had come to a fever pitch, and red chakra was beginning to take shape around the blonde.

'No! This is not good; we can't have Naruto lose control over the fox now!' Sakura looked on in desperation, her head still ringing from the impact with the tree moments before. The clone that had been holding her up had disappeared when Naruto impacted the tree, his control over the jutsu slipping for a second as he went unconscious.

'This kid…there's no way…those Kumo shinobi didn't know what they were up against, huh?' Orochimaru blazed through hand signs and pushed the enraged jinchuuriki back with a powerful gale jutsu. The attack was usually enough to launch an enemy for half a mile, but a tail made of pure chakra reached out and grabbed the tree, latching the boy in place. 'Minato sure left his son a powerful contingency plan, I'll say that…who knew the bastard had it in him to do this to his own son though?' Orochimaru chuckled at the beautiful piece of information in front of him, stunned by the power of the human sacrifice.

"Now Sasuke, let's see what you can do?" Orochimaru launched his snake at Sasuke, cutting off the recovering Naruto's attack path. 'I'm actually starting to enjoy this fight…who knew a couple of genin could give me such a challenge!' A blur moved in front of the snake, and Orochimaru felt his grin dim as Naruto intercepted the attack and again slammed his snake against a tree trunk.

"What's the matter? You running away, second best?" Naruto's hate filled eyes bored into Sasuke's, and the Uchiha felt his body tremble at the terror his teammate had become.

xXxXxXx

"This is terrible…yeah, three bodies, confirmed. This is some kind of kinjutsu, right?" Izumo Kamizuki stood over his partner, surveying the dead bodies found in a Buddhist graveyard. The chuunin had short brown hair, kept under wraps with a blue Konoha headband. His hair fell over one of his brown eyes, and his chin was covered by an extended shinobi body suit. A flak jacket covered his torso, and his legs had various weapons pouches strapped to them with cloth wraps.

"Geez, a problem already, huh?" Kotetsu, Izumo's partner scratched his head idly as he looked over the bodies. "Yeah, go ahead and contact the second tests head examiner, Anko-san." Izumo blurred away from the area as Kotetsu took out surveyors gear to assess how the bodies were killed exactly. 'Looks like the bastard just ripped their faces right off though…'

xXxXxXx

"Yum…nothing better than dango and juice!" Anko munched on her lunch happily at the test centers original outpost. The pavilions had yet to be torn down; that was a task for some of the genin not taking the exam tomorrow. For now, it provided a perfect lunch spot for the special jounin, Mitarashi Anko.

"Once I'm done eating, I guess I'll head to the tower. The first batch probably will be in the tower on the inside of a day, so I can greet the first lots that make it there." Chomping down on the remaining five dango in one go, Anko flung the completed stick over at a nearby tree. The metal stick impacted with a twang, embedding several inches and forming a pattern with her other dango sticks. "There we go, all forty sticks of dango finished, and leaf symbol complete!" Anko munched happily on her food, and looked up in surprise when a chuunin landed nearby, obviously out of breath from running hard.

"Anko-san! We need you to come immediately! We've located three dead bodies in a graveyard nearby…they seem to be genin in the exam!" Anko felt her blood run cold as her mind flashed back to the creepy genin at the start of the exam.

"Take me to them immediately!" Anko jumped up from her perch atop the pavilion and leapt after the double timing shinobi. 'Damn it…I knew this was all too familiar…stay safe Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura!'

Moments later, Anko felt her oldest fears come surging to life as she entered the Buddhist graveyard.

"After examining their papers and personal items, we've confirmed them to be a team from Kusagakure here for the exams. They were killed by simple blunt force trauma to the back of the head, with blood spatter here and here…however, their faces are gone, it's as if they were melted off entirely…"

"Show me their pictures!" Anko's voice was worried and it drew frightened looks from the Chuunin working under her. She was handed a photo and cried in dismay at her luck. 'Of course…it was him. This is his jutsu, how could it be anyone else!' Remembering the kunai returned to her, Anko felt like kicking herself for her stupidity.

"Go inform the Hokage of this immediately! Tell him to send all active ANBU Captains to the Forest of Death, as quickly as possible!" Anko leapt back towards the training ground, not waiting to see if her orders were followed. 'They won't be able to stop him, but maybe we can get him to give ground on whatever he's after…damn it, stay safe Naruto!'

xXxXxXx

"It's not safe to play with that power, Naruto-kun…" The mysterious ninja's voice whispered to Naruto as the massive snakes tongue shot out and grasped him around the ankle. In an instant, Naruto was dragged in front of the man, despite his protests and struggling. The boy seemed to have become feral, and was lashing at everything within easy reach. Fortunately, for Orochimaru at least, this snake's acid was more powerful than the youki of the Kyuubi's Cloak.

"When your emotions are heightened and your Inuzuka techniques are active, you lose control of the fox…best to put you down for a while then…" Seals began to glow on Orochimaru's hands, and the legendary ninja looked over the boy, trying to spot Minato's seal work. As the boy thrashed, Orochimaru noticed the design come into view on the boy's stomach, the seal trying to restrain some of the fox's power even now.

"There we are…_Gogyou Fuuin!"_ Orochimaru's palm, alight in purple flames, impacted Naruto's stomach, sending the boy spiraling away towards a tree. Orochimaru's tongue flashed out though and snagged the boy, yanking him back towards him. Neatly removing the Heaven scroll from Naruto's pouch, the man smiled at the chance presented to him. 'The bounty on your head is massive already Naruto…I think I'll kill you now and get the money for Otogakure…a fitting way for Minato's son to help with the destruction of his precious village…' Slipping his hand into his pocket, the snake ninja withdrew a simple kunai from his pocket.

"Get the hell away from him!" Stunned, Orochimaru turned his attention to a shaking Sakura, whose whip had snatched his prey from him in a split second of distraction. "Eat this, you bastard! _Suiton: Yudan!" _A large bullet of oil expelled from the girl as she jumped backwards, an explosive note attached to the kunai she threw as she fell. The bullet shot carried her away from the Sannin, and the close proximity gave the explosion the concussive force of a fist as it smashed into the snake ninja. Unfortunately, it also launched Sakura away from the fight, causing her to land in a heap with Naruto sprawled on top of her. From the undignified landing, it was easy to tell that they were both out cold.

'**_Foolish little brother…If you want to kill me, then turn your heart to hate and spite! Survive pathetically, every day running and clinging to a desperate life!' _**Itachi's words echoed in Sasuke's head as he watched Sakura's brave attack. Shaking the specters of the past from himself, Sasuke faced the danger that lay in front of him, of his team. 'That's right…If I'm ever going to face Itachi, I'll have to push myself to the limit! If I can't put it all on the line, I'll never take down my brother!' Sasuke readied as many weapons as he could, his blood pumping as he returned himself to combat.

The explosion from Sakura's attack had destroyed Orochimaru's summon, and the snake ninja found himself glowering at Kakashi's students. Growling, Orochimaru rose to his feet, his hands blurring through hand signs to initiate a devastating attack on the leaf genin that had managed to scar his face. 'Curse it all! I have to abandon this disguise so soon? Damned genin of Kakashi Hatake!' Before he could finish though, a large Fuuma Shuriken whistled by his head cutting off his concentration.

"I'm your opponent, you bastard!" Sasuke turned to Orochimaru, his eyes ablaze with the Sharingan once more. The snake sannin idly noticed that the boy had activated a further tomoe in his eyes, bringing the total to four at the moment. Flashing out with as many of the projectiles as possible, Sasuke placed the shots so that the snake ninja was forced into a certain fleeing pattern, each shot fired with a deadly amount of force. Sasuke noted that his eyesight seemed to have improved markedly; it was as if he could see his opponent's moves a moment before they happened.

Orochimaru dodged all of the incoming attacks with ease, though he did notice that each shot came closer and closer to landing a critical hit. 'Not bad! He can see my movements, and is getting better at tracking them! The Sharingan is truly magnificent!' Orochimaru dodged a shot that passed near his head, and then felt his eyes go wide in sudden concern; there was wire stretching from Sasuke's last two throws, and the boy seemed perched on a branch, prepared for an attack.

"_Katon:Ryuka!" _A roaring dragon came to life as the spiraling lines pinned Orochimaru in place against the back of a tree. The snake Sanin desperately gathered as much earth chakra as he could; this technique had the most bite out of any that had been launched at him so far.

Moments later, the thought proved fortuitous as the flames ravaged over the ninja's face. The heat was so great that it melted off the majority of the earth shield Orochimaru had hastily constructed and even ate through half of his skin mask, leaving a disfigured and scared remnant behind.

"This power! This strength! I must have the Sharingan!" The man's cry echoed through the woods as the fire ravaged over his face, and Sasuke felt his muscles go slack as exhaustion set in. Seeing this, Orochimaru lunged forward toward the youth, his neck extending like a snake and fangs growing in his mouth.

'Damn it…that was everything, I've got nothing left…my legs won't even move out of the way…' Sasuke felt his eyes close as the snake like face closed in on him, the world shooting into a pain filled darkness as two needle like points sank into the side of his neck.

"My name is Orochimaru…When you are ready to gain true power, come and seek me out…but first you must survive this exam. My ninja will be coming for you, so prepare yourself Sasuke…for what lies ahead." The snake ninja's voice was the last thing that Sasuke heard as the world faded to darkness, pain filling every fiber of his being.

xXxXxXx

"Damn it! This fucking hurts, get off of me you overgrown lizard!" Kiba cried out as the giant iguana of Suika impaled him with a powerful claw, resting on his chest and lunging toward his face repeatedly. The Leaf genin had so far managed to deflect the attacks by using a kunai in each one of his hands. The talon that was piercing his coat though was pressing strongly against his plate armor; not much longer, and he would be skewered for real.

"Shut up and suffer, you weak bastard!" The blonde girl in question shouted from her position next to an enlarged Choji. She had managed to dodge the boy's attack several time, and had used her concussive water attacks to slow the large genin. Meanwhile, Shino, Shikamaru, and Hinata were all being kept busy by her teammate, Takemaru. The man seemed to have some form of kekkei genkai, where chakra related attacks seemed to ghost around him. Direct physical combat was the only way to harm him, but the iguana had taken out their linchpin in that early on.

A kunai flashed from the woods towards Suika, but she deflected it and shot her own back into the canopy. Ino dodged to the side, cursing her inability to help as the attack went wide. She had attempted to capture both of the enemy ninja but found herself rebuffed by powerful psychic barriers. 'It figures that allies of Konoha would know of the Yamanaka specialty and train for it! Damn it, this is why I need the stronger techniques!'

A huge fireball appeared in the distance, distracting the group from the battle. In that decisive moment, Shikamaru flashed forward and placed a knife at the jugular of Takemaru. "Tell your partner to surrender the scroll and leave now, or I'll end you." Takemaru spat in disgust at Shikamaru and attempted to disengage the ninja, only to be met with a kunai to his back from Shino.

"If he won't, I most certainly will." The buzzing from the Aburame became downright unpleasant as he increased the pressure of his kunai. Takemaru looked disgustingly between the two Konoha ninja before scoffing in disgust.

"Fuck it. Suika, we're out of here…leave the scroll you've got on hand, I'll be right behind you!" Suika cursed, but nodded as well to Takemaru, dropping a heaven scroll before she whistled to her iguana. In an instant the two were disappearing into the woods, Shikamaru panting heavily as he took stock.

"What's everyone's condition?" The Nara called out, looking over the surroundings. Taking a moment to snag a soldier pill himself, Shikamaru let out a long breath he had been holding. While the first battle hadn't been terribly difficult, the last one was definitely more trouble than it was worth. 'Shit…think I got a few cuts out of that one…and if she's only giving up one on hand, they definitely are making it to the finals…' Takemaru had been exceptionally skilled at kenjutsu, his katana leaving a number of slashes over the genin's torso.

"Think that damned iguana bruised a rib…I'm going to be out of it for a few days at best…" Kiba grimaced from the sidelines, Hinata already at his side with a medical cream prepared. The Hyuuga had been little use in the fight; her Gentle Fist had been kept at sword length by Takemaru, and his speed had been high enough to prevent Hinata from getting around him to aid Choji.

"I'm pretty banged up too, Shikamaru…" Choji grimaced as he held his ribs. "Those girl's attacks had a lot of punch behind them as I rolled by…sorry, but I'm not much use for a while." Shikamaru grimaced and looked over the uninjured teammates. Shino didn't seem injured too greatly to the Nara, and Ino came down from the trees, looking upset but in good condition.

"Troublesome…Hinata, you stay here with Choji and Kiba, keep them medicated and keep an eye out…you'll have the best early warning of any of us, so if trouble comes get them up and out of here…" Hinata nodded towards Shikamaru, and the boy turned a questioning eye towards Shino.

"I have the best chance of locating Naruto and his teammates, so I will go with you. Hinata, keep Kiba safe." Shino nodded towards Shikamaru, and the Nara leaped into the trees with Shino and Ino hot on his heels.

xXxXxXx

Sakura dragged herself to her feet, her limbs heavy with exhaustion. 'I can't believe we lost…we used collaboration and powerful ninjutsu, how the hell did we lose? We even had a jinchuuriki on our side.' The pinkette had managed to pull Naruto and Sasuke into a nearby tree trunk and was just finished pulling out her ninja tools for trapping and securing the area. The girl had crunched down on two chakra pills, and was focusing on keeping herself alert. The afternoon sun was quickly fading, and night was fast approaching.

Using what ninja wire she had to hand, the girl placed several kunai and shuriken launchers so that they faced towards a center position of the clearing. Next, Sakura placed as many of the condensed oil and powder pellets into the earth in various patterns around the field. Finally, she strapped a giant log to the top of the trees, hoping to trap the enemy in a triple threat. 'With that, I might be able to rest for a little while…hopefully Tenten will get here soon…I know she just got started with seal work, but I hope she can take a look at what that bastard did.' Sakura felt her fist tighten and her emotions began to rise in response.

'No! I can't lose it now, I always black out when that happens!' Sakura forced down the wild feelings coursing through her veins, the nature chakra threatening to tear her apart from the inside. Taking several deep breaths, Sakura managed to force her alternate psyche into the background of her mind. As she shook her head from the aftereffects, the girl turned her eyes to her prone teammates.

Naruto had his shirt completely off, some of the remnant acid from his tussle with the first snake had begun to approach his skin, and Sakura had used what medical gear she had to keep the injuries away from the boy. His seal was standing out as well, and pulsing angrily. The seal mark that the enemy ninja had left stood out proudly, five kanji characters carved in purple on Naruto's torso. The marks were placed between the inner eight seal lines and the bordering canine fangs. It made Naruto's torso look almost tribal with the markings covering him. The seal would pulse from time to time and Naruto squirmed in his unconscious state, the pulsations obviously paining him greatly.

Sasuke's mark seemed better behaved, but the Uchiha seemed to be fairing worse than Naruto. His skin was paler than ever before and a cool sweat had broken out on the youth's forehead. The boy seemed to be shivering though, and his skin was hot to the touch. Worse yet, the boy would go through seizures at random, his thrashings smashing his arms and legs against the trees and rocks. Normally such impacts were nothing to a shinobi that had covered their skin with chakra and prepared themselves for the impact. Without the protective layer though, Sasuke's thrashing were quickly accumulating a number of bruises on the boy's body. 'If I can't bring this fever down, it could be terrible for him…'

The triple tomoe seal on Sasuke's neck pulsed painfully as Sakura brought a cleansing cloth toward the fallen shinobi, if Sasuke's muted grunt was anything to go by. Not pausing, Sakura changed the cloth on the boy's forehead and prepped a second one for the use. 'I can't really take a break from caring for them to set up a lot of traps…not that I'd have the energy to though…Anko pushed me into mastering oil based water jutsu, and Danzo might have made me practice them ruthlessly, but I don't have the chakra or control that Naruto and Sasuke have developed so far…I'm falling behind these two the longer I keep mastering different things…'

Shaking her head to focus on different things, the girl turned herself back to caring for her teammates as darkness began to fall.

xXxXxXx

Anko raced through the trees, pushing her sensing abilities to the height of her limits. Though unknown to many, her chakra sensing and sensitivity had been the reason that Orochimaru had first shown interest in her as a youth. Now though, Anko was trying to locate her former master, rage and fear fueling her further.

'It's almost nightfall…I have to find him quickly, if I lose him now I'll be at a serious disadvantage!' Anko felt her eyes tighten in anger as she raced through the woods, seeking out Orochimaru's presence. 'What is his purpose here in the village? Why did he return now?'

Casting her doubt aside, Anko rounded a corner, positioning herself to angle towards the western perimeter of the massive jungle enclosure. 'It makes no difference why you're here now though…if you've come to the village, we'll just settle things here.' Anko drew a kunai from her holster and jammed it into a tree, using it as a pivot to turn without slowing her motion.

'You're registered as an S-level threat now, and even if it costs me my life, I'll stop you or slow you long enough for the ANBU to arrive,' Anko felt her resolve falter as she thought of Kakashi, and her recent misadventures with the masked man. Shaking herself to scare away the thoughts, she focused her senses on locating Orochimaru, her childhood mentor.

"That's my job, to kill you…right Orochimaru?" Anko felt her rage spike to new heights as she realized that her teacher was blending into the woods behind her.

"That's quite impossible, you know." Orochimaru's face emerged from the tree, his face burnt and wrinkled, like melting wax. The Uchiha's final attack had marred his borrowed face immensely, and even now some of Orochimaru's own skin felt hot to the touch. 'Brat managed to sunburn me, but nothing more…well, Anko looks ready to play at least.' Orochimaru dodged to the side fluidly as trench knives flashed from the woman's trench coat, impacting the tree he had camouflaged himself against moments before.

Orochimaru's tongue flashed out moments later and wrapped around Anko's wrists, cutting the woman off from readying her second volley. 'Can't play around with this one like Sasuke…I trained her far too well for any friendly bouts…'

"**You won't get away that easily! _Senneijashu!"_** Ano felt her voice go hoarse as she shouted out her technique; black mamba's shot from her sleeve and latched onto the snake ninja's tongue. Giving a grunt of effort, she dragged the surprised ninja from the tree trunk he had attached himself too, slamming him into a nearby oak tree.

Dragging hard on the connection, Anko yanked the enemy ninja towards her and pulled a kunai from her coat. In an instant she had grabbed his hand and yanked him around her, pulling Orochimaru into an almost intimate seeming position. Driving the kunai forward, Anko slammed the kunai into the back of her own right hand, impaling herself and Orochimaru against the tree.

"I'm going to borrow this left hand of yours, sensei." Anko spat out the last word, and extended her pinky and index finger. Seeing the enemy's eyes go wide, Anko smiled in disgust at the man in front of her, "Yes, we're going to die together, just like this…" Anko began to gather the chakra, forming the necessary seals in her mind as quickly as she could.

"Planning on committing suicide? I must have taught you better than that…" Anko turned as Orochimaru's voice called from behind her. The form in front of her disappeared in an instant, and Anko was left barehanded as the legend emerged from a different tree in the clearing.

"You're a special jounin of the Leaf village…an upstanding member of this tree-hugging community." Orochimaru filled his voice with disdain as he began to pull the Kusagakure ninja's face off, tired of it marring his perfect image. "You shouldn't be using those techniques I taught you so wantonly, Anko-chan." Orochimaru's face bored into Anko, and she felt her seal pulse painfully, bringing her suddenly to her knees.

"What do you want Orochimaru?" Anko forced out, her breath coming in pants as she kneeled on the ground. 'Damn it all…not now! Why does it act up now?!' Orochimaru chuckled as he finished stripping the last of the genin's face away. Left behind was a pale face with exceedingly aquiline features, yellow slitted eyes, and glossy black hair that fell luxuriously to his waist. His pupils were a piercing yellow and had slits running down their centers. Purple rings were painted around his eyes, giving them an almost hypnotic look.

"We haven't seen each other in such a long time Anko-chan…yet you're so cold to me? First sensei, then just using my name plainly? I'm hurt!" Orochimaru chortled as his former apprentice withered on the ground, intensifying the pulse to her seal as he did. Surprisingly, she managed to weather through the pain, and raised her head to face him squarely.

"So, have you come to assassinate the Hokage yet?" Orochimaru chortled, though he did increase the pain from the curse seal once more, smiling as it brought her to her knees.

"No, I don't have enough men for that yet. I decided I'd recruit some from here instead!" Orochimaru couldn't keep the laughter from his voice as he thought of the power of the Uchiha, though he did grimace at missing his chance to kill the Namikaze. 'If I'd waited any longer though, the ANBU would have been on me in an instant…as it is, I've got a narrow window to get away from Anko before they begin to cause me serious trouble…'

"How selfish of you…whoever that is, they'll die in pain and terror…" Anko gritted her teeth, refusing to bow to the pain of her own curse seal.

"Not likely…the chance is one in ten for survival, that's true, but he's special. More so than you, as he's an Uchiha…" He watched Anko's eyes go wide in surprise, and Orochimaru could almost laugh at the emotions that played out quickly in them. "Don't be jealous Anko-chan, he is a very comely boy…perfect to be my next form in this world…unlike your trashy form." Anko's growl of rage turned into a scream of pain as he exerted the maximum amount of control he could from the seal. It was a symphony to the Snake Legend's ears.

"If that boy survives, things could be very interesting." Seeing that Anko was nearing her breaking point, Orochimaru let up on the seals pain. Anko fell to her knees, panting and struggling to remain conscious, to do something to slow the man's departure. "Please don't stop this exam prematurely…I have three genin from my village participating as well, I'd like to see how they do…If you do stop the exam early, know that I will be greatly annoyed, and crush the Leaf Village in response." Anko grunted in response, and Orochimaru disappeared suddenly in a burst of smoke, his body blurred away in a _Shunshin_.

Falling to the ground, Anko felt the world go dark as her body collapsed in a spasm of abject pain. When she awoke, it was early morning, and there was the sound of low growling surrounding her.

xXxXxXx

Several hours had passed since Orochimaru's attack, and Sakura was finding it hard to keep herself awake. The night had passed without incident, though Sakura had been forced to keep watch the entire time. Sounds flickered in from the surroundings, and she found herself jumping at every passing sound. 'One of the other teams will notice soon, if they aren't having their own troubles…can't fall asleep until then…' A bright beam of light lanced through the trees, striking the girls in the eye. Glancing upward, she noticed that the entire night had already passed, and the first rays of morning were piercing through the trees.

Turning at the sound of approaching noise, Sakura noticed a squirrel scampering through the underbrush and headed towards her location. Terrified by the sudden noise, Sakura quickly noted the explosive tag on the back of the squirrel. Realizing the squirrel could set off her mine field of oil, the girl wasted no time in firing a kunai at the rodent, making sure to just miss and scare the creature away. Sakura readied a second kunai as she watched it disappear, then turned her attentions to her surrounding woods.

"I don't know who the hell you are, but you must be a pretty sick bastard to use a squirrel bomb!" Sakura growled out to the woods, her eyes raking through the tree-tops, searching for any sign of her attackers.

"Damn…she noticed the explosive note, she's really observant, don't you think Dosu…" A voice whispered in the treetops, far enough away for Sakura not to notice. The voice in question came from a young boy with spiky black hair, held back from his forehead by a ninja headband with a musical note in the center and guards on either side of his face. He wore a beige jacket that had the kanji for death repeated down the front of it and black stripes circling from his shoulders to underneath his armpits. Beige shorts and a snake patterned scarf completed his looks, cloth wraps securing weapons holsters to his legs and wrapping his shins and forearms as well.

"No, it's not just that Zaku…she reacted much too harshly for just noticing the tag…she's got some sort of surprise ready for us down there…" A calmer voice came from another male in the treetop hideout, this one garbed in a large, long-sleeved grey poncho, with a straw raincoat protruding from his back. He stood hunched over a bit, and had cloth wrapping much of his head and face. A sound headband also was placed on his forehead, though he lacked the facial guard of his teammates. Grey pants stuck out from the bottom of the poncho, and his neck was similarly garbed in a snake patterned cloth.

"What do you mean, Dosu?" The man shook his head in negation, looking over the field in front of them carefully.

"It doesn't matter I guess…we'll just have to find out when we go down there after all…Get ready, we're moving out soon."

xXxXxXx

"We need to move out soon. We've waited for a day to gather food and supplies, steering clear of other combats, but I get the feeling the others might not have been so lucky." Tenten looked up in surprise at Neji. He was garbed in his usual grey jacket and shinobi pants, but his hair was back in a formal braid.

"You only braid your hair when you are really worried…do you have a bad feeling that something might have happened to Sakura or Naruto?" Neji nodded to Tenten, turning his Byakugan and scanning through the woods.

"They are far enough away that it is difficult to make out, but it looks like two of them are injured and all of their chakra levels are dangerously low. If we want to see them make it through the first round, we should go reinforce them now." Lee stepped back into the clearing, a large load of wood dragging behind him as he approached. Lee was in his standard green jumpsuit, and in the forest blended in to the surroundings surprisingly well.

"I agree. I am most excited for the chance to face Sasuke in battle later on in the tournament, as we have not had the chance to spar since he returned from Wave." Lee's voice was quiet, showing how seriously he was taking the current exam.

"If their low on chakra we have to back them up right away! They're a ninjutsu team, without chakra their sitting ducks!" Tenten was furiously packing her weapons as she went, trying to break camp as fast as possible.

"We're going to be too late anyways…" Tenten turned to round sharply on Neji when she noticed that his Byakugan was still active. "…their position is being attacked now, we need to move!"

xXxXxXx

"Hehe, been up all night, have you?" Sakura turned suddenly at the sound of a voice behind her. Turning, she came face to face with Dosu, Zaku and a third sound ninja, a kunoichi.

"You'll rest soon though…wake up Sasuke, we're here to fight him…" The girl on the team spoke, turning to regard Sakura coldly. She had exceedingly long black hair that reached down to the ground, tied at the end with a purple ribbon. She wore a green vest, similar to a chuunin flak jacket, and had snake patterned pants and scarf. Her solid black eyes rested beneath her sound headband, and were trying to glare through Sakura's skin at the moment.

"Now now, Kin, no need to be hasty…I'm sure she can entertain us for a little bit…" Dosu turned to his female teammate and gestured towards the left edge of the clearing. Before they could move though, Sakura's kunai flashed out, drawing the attention of the entire sound team.

"Who the hell are you sound bastards and what do you want?! One of you was here already and took our scroll, so leave us alone! Isn't it enough that you sick freaks branded Sasuke with a mark?" Dosu and his team went still at her words, looking at one another furtively.

"What the hell…if you want answers to those, you'll have to defeat us…but hearing you call us sick freaks really makes me want to kill you." Zaku spoke up, killing intent radiating from the boy as he brought his hands out of his pockets menacingly.

"Wait Zaku." Dosu's command drew an annoyed scoff from the boy, "This girl is not very skilled at her traps…the earth has been turned over here recently, and there's a different coloration of stone nearby…" Dosu turned to stare Sakura down, "…A booby trap doesn't do much good if it's noticed, you know?" Sakura felt her blood run cold and watched as the man and his teammates jumped over her preparation.

Sakura smiled as the enemy leaped into the air, firing off a kunai to cut a string hidden in the treetops. An instant later a giant log was falling towards them, cutting off their advance entirely. The sound ninja's cry of dismay made the girl smile cruelly, though she felt her grin drop slightly as they suddenly exploded the impending log to smithereens.

"You're really pathetic aren't you? Frankly, losers like you should stay out of our way…" Sakura's grin was still fixed in place, and Dosu frowned as he looked to where his team would be landing. A single kunai was sitting in the ground, and an explosive note was quickly burning down to nothing.

"Shit! Dodge you bastards!" Sakura flashed through hand seals as the trio approached the ground, her grin growing more confident as they fell. Things moved in slow motion as Dosu watched Sakura complete seal after seal, the burning tag drawing all of his extra attention.

"_Yuden! _Take that you assholes! I'm a student of Kakashi Hatake, Mitarashi Anko, Danzo Shimura, and Hana Inuzuka! Sakura Haruno! Remember that as you burn!" Oil suddenly welled up from the several chakra sensitive pellets that Sakura had strewn throughout the field, flooding the nearby surroundings in a welling massive oil slick. Oil sprayed everywhere and covered the enemy ninja. While still falling, they discovered that they did not have the footing to execute a substitution jutsu, and watched as their doom approached. Moments later, a massive explosion rocked the clearing as the oil and explosive note reacted violently, lighting everything on fire.

Before Sakura celebrated though, she noted that three large holes had been blasted in the earth, driving the oil away moments before the trio had impacted. Feeling the drain from the massive oil jutsu, Sakura cursed as she struggled to stay on her feet. 'I've made it this far, like hell I'm backing down now!' Sakura grit her teeth, willing her head to clear as the oil and flames ravaged her surroundings. Canceling the oil jutsu, the fire quickly began to burn out revealing a charred and blackened landscape.

"That was some trap set up you had there…an obvious one so we'd jump, a secondary one so we'd waste time destroying it, and a third one to roast us…we were lucky we made it out of that alive…" Dosu nodded towards Sakura with grudging respect in his voice, the near death experience shaking the team leader a decent bit.

"He's right. I'll finish this quickly for you, as you seem rather out of it…" Kin grabbed several senbon from her pouch, and Sakura turned to dodge, pleading for her tired muscles to move. She heard the sound of bells and noticed several of the incoming needles headed for vital spots, torqueing her body to get out of the way. Seconds later, pain exploded in her world as the flying senbon stabbed into her abdomen, nearly forcing the girl to retch in response.

"Oh, so you dodged the obvious ones…still, not bad. Naptime for you though…" A chiming sound echoed through the clearing, and Sakura gripped her head in pain as the world seemed to go dark for a second. Clutching the earth in front of her, Sakura forced her chakra into forming water in the air.

"Not going down that easily…_Suiton:Kirigakure no Jutsu_" Mist began to form in the clearing, and Sakura pulled her whips from her belt, leveraging herself to her feet as she turned to face the coming enemies.

"Like that'll help…_Fuuton: Zankuuha!_" A gust of wind blew over the clearing, removing Sakura's mist cover. "I told you I'd kill you…and since Kin missed that means it's my turn…get ready bitch." Zaku seemed to leer lecherously at Sakura as he raised his arms, chakra gathering at the base of his hands.

"Konoha Senpuu!" Green and orange blurred into the clearing, striking Zaku across the jaw. The blow left the sound genin reeling from the blow, smashing back into the dirt next to his team.

"Who the hell are you?!" Dosu shouted angrily at the interloper, his eyes taking in the strange, green jumpsuit form in front of him.

"My name is Rock Lee, and I am The Green Beast of Konoha! I'll not let you harm my friend further!" Sakura smiled at Lee's appearance, and the black haired genin turned and smiled at her. "Do not worry Sakura! Neji and Tenten are on the way, and we'll have this team quickly routed!" Lee smiled at Sakura, but he was thinking furiously as he looked at the situation. 'Naruto and Sasuke are both out of commission, and Sakura is on her last leg…she must have stayed watched and cared for them all night…on top of that, Neji and Tenten will be delayed as I removed my weights to get here as fast as possible…'

"Zaku, Kin, take out Sasuke. I'll handle these two…we don't have long to deal with this guy…" Lee felt his muscles tighten in preparation, and he blurred into action. His first blow struck Dosu in the gut, doubling over the hunched genin. Turning, Lee planted a kick into the side of Zaku's head with such force that the genin was sent spiraling away into the dirt. Coming face to face with Kin, Lee readied a punch, only to fall to a knee as a ringing sound invaded his eardrums.

"Damn…you're a fast one, aren't you?" Kin smirked at Lee as she stood over him, her senbon at the ready as she regarded Lee, "Lucky for me I specialize in genjutsu to take out brutes like you." Senbon flew from the girl's hands as she fired at Lee. The girl was surprised as Lee dodged to the side, moving on a seeming auto-pilot. 'I'm surprised he can even stand! The bell ringing should have damaged his inner ear, how is he even still fighting?'

Lee had leaped back to Sakura's side, his hands placed firmly on the ground. 'That attack is seriously dangerous for me…all of my attacks rely on my center of gravity and she just nearly destroyed that when I got in range…I'm at a serious disadvantage against these guys…' Suddenly a loud chiming sound went through the clearing, and Lee had to force down the urge to vomit.

"I'm not taking any chances against you. _Kyoumeisen!_" Dosu pounded his hand on his arm, and sound continued to pour from it as he charged Lee. Lee struggled to move out of the way of the attack, but with the loss of his balance, his speed was next to useless. "Once more! _Kyoumeisen!"_ Lee cried out in pain at the attack, but managed to grab onto the front of Dosu's jacket.

"You're noisy…" Lee's voice was harsh and cold as he delivered a brutal blow to Dosu's stomach, rocketing the genin back into a tree. Lee panted several times after the attack, before turning and dry heaving again, his hands and knees the only thing keeping him off of the ground.

"Get her now, Zaku!" Sakura turned to find Kin positioning herself behind her, and Zaku appeared in front of Sakura. Firing off several kunai and following it up with her whip in an attack, Sakura attempted to drive off the enemy ninja.

"Like hell! _Zankuuha!"_ The sudden wind burst drove the projectiles back towards Sakura, forcing the girl to dodge as she charged Zaku. 'Damn it, she's getting too close! My arms take a few seconds to recharge!'

"Die, you bastard!" Sakura's bull whip roared as it wrapped around Zaku, yanking him towards her, a kunai flashing in her other hand, driving towards the boy's forehead. The blow stopped violently, millimeters from Zaku's forehead. Kin was grabbing Sakura by the hair, yanking her harshly back and away from her teammate. Senbon were piercing Sakura's shoulders, hitting precise nerves that left her arms numb and almost useless.

"No one kills my teammates but me, bitch…Zaku, go get Sasuke, let's finish this up now…"

xXxXxXx

"Sasuke…" Sasuke whirled, finding himself in a blank white space. There was no floor, no surroundings, nothing but a plain, white background. Standing across from him was a boy, who looked oddly familiar. He seemed to be crying, and as Sasuke approached, he noticed that the boy was wearing an Uchiha clan shirt. 'Wait a minute…is that me?' Sasuke's eyes went wide as his eight year old self, wearing the outfit from the day his clan was massacred, stared back at him.

The younger version of himself wore a plain black shirt, similar to his older brother Itachi, and had a pair of beige shorts and shinobi sandals on. His arms and hands were bare, and covered in tear marks. His face was drawn and seemed to have been weeping forever, his eyes bloodshot and drawn.

"Mom and Dad…didn't have to die…" The younger Uchiha's voice was pierced by sobs, coming and going as he fought to even his breath. Sasuke tried to voice a response but found his mouth dry and his throat tight. "It's because you didn't have enough strength to stop it…the clan was wiped out…everyone was killed…all because you weren't strong enough…" The boy's hand reached up and pulled at his eyes, seeming to claw the skin back. As he did, the visage's eyes shifted from human to reptilian like, their predatory gleam focusing in on Sasuke.

"You let them die…all you could do was watch…because you didn't have the power I offer…" The miniature Uchiha's face had warped into a grin of abject terror, a smile that was psychopathic and deadly. The skin hung from the creatures face, falling away to reveal snake-like eyes, and its jaw opening comically wide, stretching into a giant maw that enveloped the Uchiha.

xXxXxXx

"If you go any further, I'll kill you." Neji's voice was crisp as it broke through the battle ground. His eyes pierced through Kin, and the girl shakily let go of the girl's hair. "Lee, you just had to go over board didn't you?" The green spandexed ninja nodded from his place on the forest floor, though he seemed to be recovering his senses quickly enough.

"Who the hell are you? You want to get in our way as well?" Neji turned his Byakugan eyes to Zaku, and even the abrasive ninja felt his resolve weaken. 'What the heck is with this guy? He's totally different from this girl or this crazy green monster…he's serious, a real killer…'

"If you don't like it so much, come down here and deal with us yourself!" Dosu chimed in, hoping to draw the enemy ninja in close. 'He's too far away for my melody arm to reach, but if I can get him riled enough…'

"No…it seems that won't be necessary…" A hissing sound was heard from behind Sakura, and the girl turned blearily to see Sasuke arising from the ground. His wounds were healing rapidly, and he seemed to be enveloped in a purple haze of foul chakra.

"Sakura…who did this to you?" Sasuke's voice was cool and even as he regarded Sakura. Sasuke's body was covered in markings from the curse mark, tomoe spiraling across his limbs, leaving a cursive, tracing pattern that drew the eye to it over and over. Sakura turned away from Sasuke's glance, his eyes red with the Sharingan, and tomoe spinning rapidly.

"That'd be us…" Zaku grinned like a maniac, excited about the chance to fight the powerful genin. 'This is what I came here for, to prove myself against Sasuke Uchiha and show Orochimaru that I should be given one of his personal seals!'

"Sasuke…you're still hurt, you should-" Sasuke cut Sakura off with a glare, his hands clenching in to fists.

"Shut up Sakura. I feel great…my body is brimming with power…yeah, this is going to be fun." Sasuke turned an evil eye on his enemies, his hands reaching and pulling the tanto from his belt. 'If I'm going to avenge my clan, I need to gain power by any means…even if it means making a deal with the devil…' Chakra began to swirl violently about Sasuke, building to a fever pitch. It was strong enough to kick dirt and debris up from around the Uchiha, and Dosu felt his eyes go wide in terror; it felt like Orochimaru himself was preparing to confront the sound genin.

"Dosu! Stop screwing around, we have to kill this half dead freak!" Dosu shouted a warning to Zaku, but the other boy was tired of listening to him, "Take this! _Daizankuuha!"_ A massive sound wave shot from both of Zaku's arms, pressurizing the air and blasting towards Sasuke. As the debris cleared, it looked like Zaku had blasted away the entirety of Team Seven, the attack digging a massive furrow into the dirt that stretched an untold distance into the forest beyond. "Wiped 'em out like that, you see? Easy to blow him away…"

"Blow who away?" Sasuke's voice cut through Zaku's confident grin; before the Sound genin could move a blinding pain exploded in the back of his head. Sasuke was on him in an instant, his initial blow followed up by a devastating stomp kick to Zaku's lower back. "You're pretty proud of these arms, aren't you? Pride goes before, you know?" Zaku felt Sasuke grab both of his arms and wrench powerfully on him, his foot planted in his back for leverage. There was a terrible rending and snapping noise and Zaku fell to the ground, wailing in pain. "You two are next…I hope you're a bit more entertaining…" Sasuke turned towards Kin and Dosu, his eyes gleaming madly, bloodlust running mad in his eyes.

"Stop it Sasuke…let them go." A whip from Sakura latched around Sasuke's leg, holding him in place. The girl seemed to have regained her footing, and though exhausted, stared Sasuke down pointedly. The Uchiha tried to scoff at her interference, but Neji and Tenten landed on the ground next to her, and Lee rose to his feet to shakily join the trio. "They are outnumbered, and injured now…as long as they surrender their scroll and leave, we should leave them be…" Dosu nodded to Sakura's words, quickly pulling a scroll from his pack.

"We want no further quarrel with you, Sasuke Uchiha. Take our scroll as clemency, and let us retreat." Dosu spoke up, placing an earth scroll on the ground before hastily gathering Zaku to his side. Kin kept an eye on the ninja, watching as Sasuke's ominous chakra faded away.

"Wait! Who the hell was that other enemy ninja?! What did he do to Sasuke and Naruto?" Sakura called out, pulling weapons from her pouch to throw at the ninja. Dosu turned and looked at her, pausing momentarily to shoot her a fearful look.

"I don't know who you are talking about…our orders were to kill Sasuke Uchiha, and failing that, fight him in the finals. Sasuke…if we meet again, none of us will hold back." Sasuke nodded to Dosu, his face forming a vicious scowl as he stared down the sound ninja. A moment later, the mysterious team had disappeared into the woods.

"Hey, are you guys alright?! We got here as soon as we could, but there were a number of teams we had to move around!" Ino's voice called down from above, landing on a nearby treetop. The blonde kunoichi took in the surroundings, noting the ground was torn and burnt in several areas. "What the hell happened here, it looks like a war zone!" Ino jumped down from the tree, pulling what medical supplies she had from her pouch. Sasuke scoffed at her and turned away, moving away from the group. He grasped his hand several times, trying to call up the power from moments before.

"We're fine Ino…just torn up…"Sakura looked worriedly at Sasuke, trying desperately to maintain on her feet as the Uchiha distanced himself from the group. Her legs though were incredibly weak, and after the trials of the last day, Sakura could no longer hold her bodyweight and slumped wearily to the forest floor. As she did, Neji caught her from behind bracing her upright. Tenten turned at the movement towards Naruto, and noticed the blonde blearily blink his eyes awake.

"What the hell hit me…I feel like crap…" Naruto's shirt was completely gone, and his seal was still pulsing angrily on his toned stomach, drawing Tenten's eyes to the set up. "Shit! Where'd the bastard go!" Naruto quickly noticed the others in the clearing, and felt his eyes go wide as he took stock of the situation. "He…he beat us, didn't he?" Naruto's voice held a bit of awe in his voice, his eyes wide and fearful.

"Yeah…he got us Naruto." Sakura's voice came weakly from in front of Neji's back, her face hidden from view by her draping pink hair. "He knocked out all three of us and took the scroll…luckily, Sasuke scared off a different team that came to mess with us…" Sakura's voice seemed bitter about the whole situation though, and Naruto looked down, choking back feelings of defeat.

"Can…can you put a shirt on? Not that I mind the view, but…your 'tattoos' are rather interesting…" Tenten's voice cut through Naruto's melancholy, and the blonde blushed profusely about being so bare-chested in front of his girlfriend.

"S-Sorry, Tenten!" Naruto sat up right and turned away from the group, pulling a scroll from his back-side weapons pouch. 'Heheh…guess the snake's acid ate through what was left of my clothes…' Pulling a look alike black hoodie from his pouch, Naruto quickly dropped the jacket over his form, hiding his seal from view.

"Tattoos? I didn't know that Naruto had tattoos!" Ino's voice called over the tops of Tenten and Naruto's head, drawing a look of worry between Naruto and Tenten. "Hey, wait a sec…you're not from our year…yeah, is your name Tenten? You're Naruto's girlfriend, right?" Naruto turned a beseeching look on Tenten who shot him a glowering look of annoyance.

"Where did you hear that Ino? I'm sure Naruto didn't tell you, as I wanted that kept under wraps…" Tenten turned an evil look on Naruto, all concern for his injuries leaving her as she stared Naruto down.

"I told her Tenten…please, let's stop worrying about this and get back to the base camp…it's been a rough day for my team, alright?" Sakura's voice was weak and weary; she seemed to be fighting to keep her eyes open as Neji tended to her, his motions calm and slow, focused on her every injury. 'I need to stay awake a bit longer…soon I'll get a chance to rest…'

xXxXxXx

'Just a bit more, and the others will be back…' Hinata kept repeating that to herself as she watched over Kiba and Choji. Both of them had decided to take the first watch together. Their injuries would have made it impossible for them to serve the watch individually.

The snoring forms of the two male genins looked incredibly peaceful, and Hinata tried not to think about her desire for rest. A slithering sound from the bushes alerted Hinata to an incoming presence. Turning a startled look in the forested direction, Hinata breathed out a sigh of relief as a single white snake entered the clearing. The creature was incredibly small, and didn't seem the least bit threatening to the girl. Reaching a hand out, she carefully tried to pet the small creature, only to cry out in surprise as it hissed at her and nipped at her hand. Pulling her hand back quickly, Hinata watched the snake more closely, and made shooing motions at it for the snake to leave.

'Hmm…interesting…she's too pure of heart for my seal to take place…pity, it would have been nice to add the Byakugan to my village…rumors had it that she was poised over the edge of darkness like Sasuke, through her families mistreatment, but they must have been overblown…I'll have to look elsewhere for a back-up plan…' Orochimaru watched the girl from the distance, in the dark, and faded back into the woods, without a sign of his passing.

xXxXxXx

GOOD GOD! THIS CHAPTER TOOK FOREVER! AND WE DIDN'T EVEN GET TO THE MAIN EXCITING PARTS YET!

Alright, well, that chapter accomplished a whole heck of a lot actually…we managed to get through the introduction of several important side characters, got through the curse seal process, set up a few plot points, and left poor Anko in a dire situation for next time! This is probably the last publish before the new year's, but hopefully not the last new one before I go back to school…I'm hoping the next chapter or two will get us through the prelims, and have the first month of training begin for the chuunin exam…gah, that's so much writing! Ok, you can do, it'll get done! Yeah, here we go, Omake in the meantime!

Omake 4 Sensei's play time 1

Anko growled as Kakashi pranced away from her, her prized copy of Icha Icha Paradise in his hands as he raced around the small jounin's apartment. "Give me that back you bastard! You're not allowed to hog it all to herself!" Kakashi laughed like a ten year old as he raced away from the snake woman, dodging to the side as she nearly tackled him into the bar of her kitchen.

"You'll have to be faster than that to catch me, Anko-chan." Kakashi's voice was full of amusement as he dodged to the side before he suddenly pinned her back against the wall. "Not that I'm planning on running far away…" All thoughts of running fled from both of them as Kakashi's voice dropped to a new low as he slipped his lips over hers, catching the moan escaping from her mouth.

Smiling against Kakashi, Anko reached down and grabbed the man about his waist, pulling his naked form against her body. The minor exertion from their running had caused a light amount of sweat to break out on both of their bodies. Anko reveled in the feeling of his slick, muscled torso pressing against her soft curves, and felt his growing excitement at their closeness pressing against her inner thigh.

'God, how long has it been since I let myself love this freely…I always dreamed of becoming this with…with sensei…' even now, the mere mental mention of Orochimaru's name, while in her state of arousal, brought back painful memories. '…but now I can have it with someone else…someone who truly cares for me…' Anko felt herself begin to give in to the sensation, feeling her breath hitch as Kakashi's teeth nipped at her collarbone. His teeth moved up and over her chest, heading towards the back of her neck, and suddenly Anko spasmed in pain, shoving him away from her powerfully.

In an instant, Anko was hurled back into the past, her surroundings suddenly changing about her. _"Today's the day you learn the art of seduction, Anko…you'll need to learn it well to complete your future assassination missions…" Orochimaru had approached her, his pale skin in the light, and aquiline features causing her teenage breath to catch in her throat. Anko whimpered on the bedroll in the spare room, her voice catching in her throat as her sensei approached. _

'_I…I want this right? I've always had a crush on sensei, so why does this feel so wrong?' Anko shivered in anticipation as the pale flesh of her sensei's hand slid alongside her face, drawing her up for a kiss. She expected it to be sweet and was unpleasantly surprised by his fierceness. _

"_Your lovers will not be kind Anko, and neither will I…you're going to have to learn ways of shutting out your emotions for everything…there can be no love in the life of a shinobi…" Orochimaru's voice was harsh, demanding, as if she were training with him in anything else. "Prepare yourself Anko, I'm not going to hold back…" Orochimaru's hand grasped her face as he pulled her back towards him, her eyes shutting themselves against the feeling of lips pressed against her._

"Anko! Anko! Come back to me, damn it!" Kakashi's voice brought Anko out of her stupor, her arms clutched around her head, grasping her hair through clenched fingers. "Anko, come back! I need you here…come on, it's just me here…" Kakashi's arms rubbed up and down the side of her arms, and Anko felt herself come back, her eyes panicked and beseeching as she looked up at Kakashi.

"Kakashi…oh god, I'm sorry…I just, I was there again, and he was…it was when…" Anko's voice broke and Kakashi pulled her into a tight embrace, holding on to her naked form as she wept. Shudders wracked her body as she collapsed against the copy ninja, her fingers digging into Kakashi's shoulders.

"It's alright, I'm here now…I'm here…I'm not going anywhere, anytime soon." Anko nodded and clutched Kakashi all the closer.

xXxXxXx

Alright, not a lot has happened since last chapter for review shout outs at the end, but I will put in another shameless plug! As always, read and review!

Before I leave, here are some quick jutsu line ups! I'm only throwing out the original ones that can't be looked up elsewhere!

_Fuuton: Kaze Kagitzume: _Wind release: Wind Claws. Jutsu that causes blades of wind to be formed around Naruto's claws. Extending several inches now, they form sizeable blades that can cause significant damage to a foe. With further refinement, they could potentially grow to serious levels of power. D-Rank.

_Futon: Tsuga: _Wind release: Passing Fang Version of Passing Fang. It causes a vortex to spin behind Naruto, drawing an opponent of small size in closer for a damaging attack, and can propel Naruto at greater speeds towards an opponent. Only recently mastered, so very uncontrolled at this point in time. C-Rank.

_Futon: Kaze Seki: _Wind release: Wind Shell. A protective sphere forms around Naruto, directing various projectiles away from him. Heavier projectiles will not be deflected, and fire ninjutsu or explosions will be enhanced by the attack. C-Rank.

_Fuuton: Usugiri Kaze Seki: _Wind Release: Slicing Wind Shell. An offensive version of the former jutsu, designed to act as a physical deterrent against charging attackers. It however lacks any element that will push an enemy back, so those willing to push through the damaging winds can easily close with the user. C-Rank.

_Yuden:_ Oil Field. A water element based technique that causes a pool of oil to slick over a small area. Can be enhanced by the use of special pellets prepared beforehand that are attuned to the user's chakra. When filled with small amounts of gun powder, the pellets provide a truly destructive amount of flammable material. C-Rank.

_Shounetsujigoku: _Inferno Storm. A fire element based technique that spreads a wide area of fire chakra that can ignite local fauna and materials to a powerful temperature. The attack is keyed towards causing an immensely powerful conflagration that can spread uncontrollably if not quelled by the user. C-Rank.

_Takeruya: Tsuugadan_ Howling Arrow: Gatsuga Shot. After completing his wind elemental training for the first level, Naruto is capable of performing the technique much more readily, though controlling aim at this point is still difficult. C-Rank.

_Suiton: Yudan_ Water Release: Oil Bullet. A technique that creates a compressed sphere of oil that explodes and ignites violently. C-Rank.

There was a hint at a super powerful team technique that the group has in here, but that will have to wait for its opportune moment to be unveiled. Until then, read and review! Let me know if the jutsu is better in English or Japanese!


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